


The Order of the Light by Immortally Spuffy

by maryperk



Series: Order of the Light [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: BtVS meets Van Helsing, Crossover - Van Helsing, F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 01:37:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 32,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1839571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maryperk/pseuds/maryperk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world far removed from their own, the Scoobies plus others are called to help fight back an evil new foe. Joined by a new ally the gang will have to fight to survive. Can the gang survive this new world? Or will the new threat be more than they can handle?  Written for round 8 FFA Challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue, Transylvania, 1887

The mob streamed through the forest towards the dark and foreboding castle. Their torches cast eerie shadows among the leaves. The battering ram was heavy, but the fervor of its carriers made it seem light.

As the mob battered against the castle gate, Doctor Victor Frankenstein finally triumphed over death. His creature was alive!

The doctor knew he had to escape before the mob breached the castle, but his escape was impeded by the very man who had paid for the instruments that had allowed his creature to be 'born'. Victor soon realized that the man, the Count, had a terrible purpose for the creature.

Victor was horrified by the thought of such evil. He shouted for his assistant Igor to help him against the count, but Igor was a traitor. Victor grabbed a sword to hold the Count off, but he was astonished when the man impaled himself upon the sword. Victor screamed as the count's face turned into that of a monster. He heard a door slam as Igor ran away.

The count drained his victim, and he dropped what was left of Victor Frankenstein to the floor. He wiped his lips with his hand as he walked towards the table where Frankenstein's monster lay. He was mildly surprised to find the creature was gone. The monster threw a piece of machinery at the Count, causing the vampire to fly backwards into the over-sized fireplace with a burst of flame.

The creature was unhappy to find his maker hurt. He picked Victor up to run away and hide. However, Igor shouted out the doctor's name, alerting the mob to their presence. The mob followed the creature to a nearby windmill.

Back in the castle, the Count threw the huge piece of machinery off of himself with ease. He stepped out of the fireplace while still in flames, but those were quickly extinguished. His blackened flesh healed instantly, and with an almost bored look, he flicked a lock of hair out of his face. The flickering shadows on the wall showed his transformation from man to monster.

Frankenstein's creature pushed his way inside the windmill, closing the door just as the first members of the mob reached the windmill. Outside the instigator of the mob screamed out to the burn down the windmill.

As the creature climbed upwards he broke bottles of alcohol that littered the stairs of the abandoned windmill. The mob threw their torches into the building. The ancient wood, coupled with the flammable liquid, caused the entire building to burst into flame immediately.

The creature couldn't understand what was going on, and he screamed at the crowd. An old woman fainted, but at the same time a noise was heard from above.

The mob realized their vulnerability. They ran screaming because of the winged creatures above them. The instigator stared as the vampires flew through the darkness towards them.

The creature looked down at his maker one last time before the burning windmill collapsed, taking both of them down into the fiery depths of the building.

The Count landed on the ground already morphed into his human guise. His three brides followed, their white gowns fluttering around their bodies. The brides screamed and cried, huddled together behind an unhappy Count. Each one was upset that their purpose had been thwarted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter One

“Whoa,” Xander quipped, grabbing the attention of the room’s occupants as he barreled into the school library. “Full house.”

Grinning to Oz, Willow and Buffy he made his way over to his girlfriend’s side. His smile slipped slightly as he noted the presence of the large brunette vampire that he hated above all others. The teenager really didn’t care if the creep had a soul or not, in Xander’s mind there wasn’t a lot of difference between the two versions.

With Xander’s entrance, Buffy turned to Giles. “So what’s the what, oh, watcher, mine? How come we all got the big summons? Apocalypse? World end-age? End of year clearance sale at the mall?” Buffy chirped perkily.

Faith stood off to the side, hating her inability to find her place within the group but longing to be a part of something. Every time she tried to get a handle on the slayer gig, she found herself being pushed to the sidelines because whatever she was doing things. Everyone was used to Buffy’s style. This left Faith floundering. She wasn’t Buffy. Of course her way would be different, but that didn’t seem to matter to the majority of the group she now found herself linked with. It wasn’t right. Her gut told her that this wasn’t the way things were meant to be.

Rupert Giles removed his glasses as his mind attempted to arrange his thoughts. He was working with little or no information, and it irked him. With a resigned sigh he attempted to illuminate the group with what little he knew. 

“This afternoon I was visited by an… er… individual that, I believe, Buffy and Angel are familiar with...” Giles lifted his gaze to meet his charge he clarified. “...Whistler.”

Angel and Buffy exchanged shocked glances, before turning back to Giles and silently indicating that the ex-watcher should continue.

“He just asked that I contact everyone here and ask them to be present this evening. It is my understanding that he will return presently with more information for us all,” Giles concluded unhappily.

“So who is this guy?” Xander was the first to break the uncomfortable silence that followed Giles’ announcement.

“Creepy little demon guy that’s supposed to work for the Powers that Be,” Buffy answered her friend unhappily. As far as she was concerned nothing good could come from a Whistler visit. The last time she’d seen him, he’d been the one to tell her how to kill Angel and stop Acathla. She planned to make good on her threat to turn his ribcage into a hat if he had more bad news to share. 

“He’s a balance demon working directly for the Powers. He’s the one that led me to Buffy.” Angel offered softly as he smiled with loving sadness at the small blonde slayer.

“All the more reason to hate him,” Xander snarked maliciously, responding to the brunette’s words.

“And here I thought we could be such good friends, too,” Whistler announced his presence while he responded to Xander’s comment. Stepping fully into view from his position near the book stands, Whistler moved closer to the steps that led down to the main library floor. Lifting his hands up in the universal sigh for ‘I come in peace’, the balance demon quickly circumvented Buffy’s angry questions by offering the reason for his visit.

“The Powers want to see you all. They think it’s time to tell you what your place is in the greater scheme of things. They want to clear up the confusion with the whole two slayer story. They especially want Buffy, Faith, Angel and the Watcher to understand exactly what it is they have been chosen for.”

“But…you said…um…why do they want to see the rest of us?” Willow stumbled nervously.

“You’ve all been chosen, Doll face. Now you get to find out what for.” With a wave of his hand a bright white vortex opened.

The entire roomful stood momentarily frozen staring at the swirling opening. Uneasy glances flicked from eye to eye. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Cordelia Chase was the first to move, swiftly heading to the portal. “Come on, people. I have better things to do with my time than spend it standing around with you losers.”

With a look of shocked disbelief, Buffy watched the cheerleader strut through the opening and disappear _‘Stupid Cordy…making me look like a scaredy slayer,’_ Buffy thought with a huff before following the statuesque brunette into the light.

Whistler watched them go and thanked the Powers that he wouldn’t be around when they came back – he liked his ribs where they were, thank you very much! With a flash of light the portal closed and the balance demon disappeared, leaving the library to the silence of the night.

Buffy looked around quickly making a silent head count. _‘Angel – check; Giles – check; Willow and Xander – check; Oz – check; Faith – check; stupid Cordy – check; Amy and Mom – check…wait…back up, huh?’_ “Mom? Amy? What are you…?” Buffy voice trailed off when a groan of pain reached her ears. Turning towards the sound she noticed two unknown men, one looking like a younger version of Giles and the second clutching his head. Before she could voice the stream of questions she suddenly needed answers to, the new guy with the apparent headache was loudly complaining in a weird accent about something that sounded like visions and inconsiderate bosses that didn’t give him any time to process said visions.

“Will someone shut the bloody mick up? Can’t you let a man suffer through his hang-over in peace?”

The pitiful whine came from behind, and Buffy felt like she was moving in slow motion as she turned. “Spike?” she gasped in shock at the sight of the miserable looking blond vampire that she hadn’t seen since their truce. 

For the first time in a very long time Buffy Summers had absolutely no idea what to say. Neither, apparently, did almost every other member of the gathered group.

Almost.

“What have you dragged me into this time, Slayer?” Spike pouted unhappily. 

“Me?” she squeaked out indignantly. “Since when did I get to be your ‘let’s-blame-Buffy’ doll?”

Standing abruptly and ignoring the pounding in his head, Spike growled as he stepped into her personal space and glared accusingly at the little blonde. “Let’s see, shall we?” he snapped sarcastically, ticking off fingers as he continued, “wheelchair, Angelus, Dru.”

Buffy narrowed her eyes and slammed back with disdain, “You started it when you kidnapped my boyfriend. He’s your family, and it was your choice to hook up with the loony ho-bag.”

“You are, without doubt, the most infuriating, annoying, aggravating, exasperating…”

“Oooh! Look at you, Mr. Thesaurus,” Buffy mocked with amusement. “And right back at ya, bleach brain.”

“If you are quite finished, perhaps we can get started,” an irritated voice pierced the confines of the secluded universe that the glaring blonds had managed to transport themselves to.

With matching looks of irritation at being interrupted, Buffy and Spike turned towards the voice and noticed the three newcomers for the first time. 

Buffy’s expression turned to shock as she recognized all three.

“Darla, I thought you were dust?” Spike asked in surprise. Looking at the other two. he realized only one of them was familiar. Turning his confused features to Buffy he asked the question that his recognition demanded. “Isn’t that the Island bint, Slayer? The one Dru offed?”

“Um...yeah. And the other one is Jesse. He died before you and I met.” Buffy replied dazed, her mental confusion not registering the sudden lack of animosity between her and her mortal enemy.

“What the bleedin’ hell is goin’ on here?” Spike demanded of the three, somehow instinctively knowing that they would have his answers.

Holding up his hands to quiet the babbling of questions that Spike’s had spurred, Jesse waited for their silence. “We appear in these images because they are known to the majority of you. We are the Powers That Be.” Indicating his companions, the Power in the body of Jesse continued, “Darla holds the Powers for Evil, Kendra for Good, and I hold Balance. I am the bridge between the two, so to speak. While they exist, I can be maintained.”

With a slight wave of his hand comfortable arm chairs appeared behind each individual. “This may take a while. We may as well be eased while we talk.”

The three Powers sat and waited for the rest to follow their example.

Once all were seated, Jesse continued. “We have much to discuss. Each of you are here for a reason. We ask that you show patience. It will be rewarded.”

Cautious nods followed his request.

“First we will address the matter of slayers and the Council.” Jesse began with a penetrating glance at Buffy, Faith, Giles and the man that Buffy had recognized as a younger version of Giles. “Over the centuries the Council has allowed itself to be manipulated by unscrupulous leaders, and the job and teachings of the Council has been changed because of this. The fact is that the job of the Council is to provide its head, The Slayer, with support and advice. She does not work for the Council; the Council is there for her.” With a nod of understanding at the unified gasp from the four he was addressing, Jesse continued. “When Buffy died at the hand of the Master, she not only fulfilled the prophecy that allowed for the slayer line to split, her resuscitation began the prophecy of the coming of the Order of Light.”

“But the Order of Light has been around for centuries,” Giles interrupted, confused.

Jesse nodded in agreement. “That is true, but the Order of Light are immortals. They are not bound by time and space. They are called the timeless warriors for a reason. They exist in the past because they were called in the future. The many apocalypses they have thwarted they have done so because they already know the outcome.”

“And this has something to do with Buffy?” Joyce asked tentatively, unsure of her place. She was determined to understand what was happening with her daughter.

“Yes,” Jesse agreed solemnly. “Kendra was called and, following her, Faith. Faith is the present slayer. Buffy has moved on to her rightful place in the scheme of things, and now is the time to bring that into being.”

“What, so Faith gets a death sentence, and I have you screwing up my life more?” Buffy demanded in frustration. Why did these so called powers think they had the right to mess with her life? It wasn’t right.

“You were chosen originally because, of all the girls in the world, you were the one with the greatest love for your fellow man. You had the greatest spirit of protection. You had the need and desire to stand up for what was right. All the parts of you that make you the greatest slayer that has ever lived come from the girl you are. You constantly complain that you have had ‘normal’ taken from you and yet you fail to realize that even without the power of the Slayer, you would never be ‘normal’ because you are extraordinary. We recognize this and celebrate the person you are becoming. Why don’t you?” the Power that wore Kendra’s face asked with gentle curiosity.

Buffy’s face flushed in pleasure at the unexpected praise. “Oh! Um…never thought of it that way,” she mumbled shyly. When she heard the snicker from the chair to her left she sent the amused vampire a glare that, if it could have, would have dusted him on the spot.

“As to your other statements,” Jesse continued unperturbed by the interruptions. “A Slayer can only die if she is killed. At the age of twenty five she stops aging. The reason so many before you have not lived longer is because the Council teaches each slayer that she must fight alone. This is not true. As you have discovered, Buffy, fighting with a team ensures that you don’t have to. We have called the people that will be Faith’s team here. This way she too will be protected so that she can protect those she needs to.” 

Standing, Jesse indicated that Faith should stand, too. “You have much to offer the world, but your inner imbalance makes that difficult for you. You have not yet been given the opportunity to find out who you are as a slayer, and this festers within you. Now is your time, Faith, and we will furnish you with all you need to aid you.” Indicating the un-named man, he introduced her, “Wesley Wyndam-Price, your watcher.”

With a slight smile the two shook hands.

“Wesley, you are untried and unsure. We have chosen to give you a gift so that your slayer will have the best guidance. In your future you will become the man she needs you to be. So, we have decided to give you that knowledge of self, but we do not wish to hurt you or those you can and will come to love. So, while we will give you the nature you will develop, we will not give you the memory of how you developed it. It would upset the balance were that knowledge available to you.” 

Touching Wesley’s forehead lightly, Jesse bestowed their gift.

Everyone watched, some in amazement, as the stiffly standing man seemed to relax into a softer pose that screamed of security and capability. No one doubted for a moment that this man would well be able to handle himself. 

Slighting lifting an eyebrow, Wesley made a sardonic observation. “The Council is not going to be happy.”

Jesse indicated that the Brit should re-seat himself and responded even as he turned to the next team member. “The Council will be dealt with.”

“Allen Francis Doyle,” Jesse introduced the Irishman to Faith. “He is your seer. He is your link with us.”

Buffy pouted. _She_ didn’t have a seer.

“Amy Madison, your witch.”

Amy gave a shy little hand wave, really glad that she’d had the opportunity to have this all explained to her before hand.

“Amy, you have great potential, but you lack knowledge and control,” Jesse said before reaching out and touching her forehead. “We give you both.”

Amy reached to her head as she plopped back down on her seat. _‘Whoa! Hadn’t been expecting that.’_ she thought, shocked.

Jesse moved to face the final member of Faith’s team. “Your vampire protector.”

“Wait! No! I mean…I’m Buffy protector,” Angel stood and faced the Power, confusion marring his features.

“No. You are the Slayer’s protector. The Slayer is Faith.” Jesse replied coldly before turning to the Power in Darla, “You explain it to him.”

Darla stood and faced the frowning brunette vampire. “To gain the redemption you seek, you must continue to fight on the side of good. You have many lessons to learn, and so far you have not done well at all. You were offered a chance to redeem yourself by protecting the new slayer of the time. That happened to be Buffy. However, instead of coming openly to the Slayer and her Watcher and standing by their side to face all threats, you stood off to the side and watched. You offered cryptic information when you knew all. You hid your nature and concentrated on the seduction of a minor rather than do the job we had offered you. You surrounded yourself with mystery and lies rather than open truth. You attempted to teach and guide, undermining the position of her watcher, rather than protect as you had been charged to do. You are lucky that you are being given this chance. This slayer,” she said, pointing to Faith, “knows you are a vampire with a cursed soul. She knows that if you have a moment of happiness you will lose the soul. She also knows that you are to be her protector, not her watcher or regulator. You will not be able to manipulate her as you have Buffy and you will not be in charge. Your job is to fight at her side every night and That. Is. All.”

“But what about Buffy? Who is going to protect her?” Angel demanded, incensed.

“Buffy is no longer your concern,” Jesse announced with finality. With a wave of his hand a portal opened behind the group and turned to Faith. “This is your team. Take them back to the library, and you will be met by Whistler. He will get everyone settled.”

Faith nodded eagerly, ready and willing to get on with the rest of her life and the mission she was called to do. Grabbing Angel and pushing him ahead of her she felt comfortable giving her first order. “Come on, lack brain, you heard the man. Move your broody ass.”

The group of five were through the portal, which had closed after them before Buffy registered they were leaving. She had been desperately trying to deny the very real and honest interpretation of the host of accusations Darla had leveled at Angel. She really hated when people dragged her, kicking and screaming, out of Egypt. Reality sucked on occasion. This really put a damper on the whole Angel being her destiny theory.

“Is this where you tell us about the whole ‘Order of Light’ thing-y?” Willow asked nervously.

Jesse smiled benignly at the little witch and nodded in agreement.

“The Order of Light are a group of immortals that travel through time and space righting wrongs and keeping the balance. They represent all factions of the Powers. They are chosen and yet choose to be chosen.” Kendra stated simply while turning to Buffy. “This is where you choose, Buffy.”

“What are my options?” Buffy snorted inelegantly, positive that her choices would by sucky and suckier.

“If you choose to become the leader of the Order of Light, you will continue to fight. As the battles have already been fought and won, you would have the distinct advantage of knowing the outcome. You would never need to feel alone again. Choosing this path will lead you to your destined mate; one who is truly your equal; one who loves as deeply as you; one who will love you with his entire being.” Kendra offered with a grin. “If you chose against this, you can officially retire. We will remove your slayer powers, and you can go on with your life. You can search for ‘normal’ without the distraction of slaying.”

Buffy dropped her head and really considered her options. The whole idea of being a normal girl again tempted her beyond belief, but the idea of giving up her powers held her back from immediately jumping for joy and grabbing the opportunity. If she was honest with herself she would have to admit to liking not only the strength and super fast healing, but sometimes she kinda liked the fighting, too. Without that she would have to learn how to deal with normal strength all over again. She would never again be able to stop a bully from picking on someone and really, if she stuck with the non-denial, she didn’t really want to stop being able to protect people. _‘And bonus, finding someone who will love me without the certain knowledge that his demon hates my guts is an unexpected chocolate moment.’_ Lifting her eyes to meet the comforting brown of her old friend, Buffy clearly and firmly gave her answer, “I choose to lead the Order of Light.” 

“And so it begins,” Jesse stepped forward smiling. “Watcher, do you willingly join your charge in her destiny?”

“I do,” Giles stated firmly, stepping to Buffy’s side.

Jesse leaned forward and tapped Giles’ forehead. “You are the Father. Knowledge is your field, and now all that you need you know.”

Giles gasped as he realized exactly what he now knew and what was still to come.

“Joyce Summers, do you willingly join your daughter in her destiny?” Jesse asked the surprised woman who stood quickly to join her child and Giles.

“I do,” she answered firmly, not allowing her daughter the chance to object. She stood still as the Power for Balance tapped her head.

“You are the Mother. Love is your field, and now you can heal all you love with your touch.”

“Willow Rosenberg, do you willingly join your friend in her destiny?”

“I do,” she stated firmly before stepping up to join the others and waited patiently for the forehead tap that everyone else had received.

“You are the Witch. Magic is your field, and it can be hazardous. Absolute power corrupts absolutely unless it is wedded with compassion and wisdom. You are born with compassion but wisdom requires time.” Waving his hand three necklaces appeared suspended in midair before the little witch. Pointing to each, Jesse gave them a name. “Power; Wisdom; Time. Which do you choose?”

Willow thought hard about the choices, and as she did an idea formed. She reached for her chosen necklace. “I chose time,” she started, placing the necklace around her neck before reaching for a second necklace. “Because with time you can acquire wisdom,” she said with a grin, slipping the second necklace around her neck and watching as it fused with the first.

“Do you not wish to try for Power, too?” Jess asked lightly.

“I have power. Now I’m wise enough to know that I don’t need any more,” she said with a shy grin.

Jesse threw back his head and laughed. “You are well chosen, little witch. You do us proud.”

Turning back to group Jesse continued, “Daniel Osborne, do you willingly join your friend in her destiny?”

“Absolutely,” Oz replied stoically while he moved to join his girlfriend.

Jesse tapped him lightly and grinned. “You are the Wolf. We give you control. Now when you need to use your inner beast your mind will be in charge.”

“Alexander Harris, do you willingly join your friend in her destiny?”

“Always,” Xander jumped to take his place and waited for his gift.

“You are the Weapons Smith. Your field is creation. You now have the knowledge to ensure you can make any weapon your group will require in any time.”

“Cordelia Chase, do you willingly join your friend in her destiny?” Jesse smiled at the beautiful brunette.

“I so better get something good out of this,” she grumbled as she took her place. There was no need to let them know that the idea of being eternally gorgeous played a big part in her decision making process.

“You are the Seer. Visions are your field and now, as conduit for the Powers you can warn of impending threat.”

Darla stepped forward, taking Jesse’s place. “William of Aurelius, Spike, Slayer of Slayers, do you willingly choose to follow your true destiny?”

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLEEDIN’ MIND?”

Giles stepped forward quickly and placed his hands on the shoulders of the freaked blond vampire, knowing exactly what he had to do. “I claim you as my son. You have family. I pledge to you my loyalty and support. You are mine.”

Joyce followed her own urges and quickly replaced Giles as the older man stepped aside for her. “I claim you as my child. You have family. I pledge to you my loyalty and support. You are mine.”

Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia stepped forward as one, each reaching to touch the shaking vampire. “We claim you as our brother. You have family. We pledge to you our loyalty and support. You are ours.”

Spike collapsed to his knees, his emotions overwhelming him. Tears pricked at his eyes. The love and support that he now felt surging through him from his newly stated family was making his William side cry in relief and his demon purr with happiness. He belonged. He finally belonged. 

The vampire didn’t notice as his new family stepped aside to allow Buffy space. Kneeling in front of the weeping blond, the tiny girl slipped her hands into Spike’s. “I claim you as mine. You are family. You are my left hand. I pledge to you my loyalty and support. You are mine.”

“Yours,” Spike whispered, cementing the bond.

“I ask again,” Darla said stepping forward. “Do you willingly choose to follow your true destiny?”

“Too bloody right, I do,” Spike sniffed and rose to his feet, still clutching the hands of his slayer. 

Darla smiled and tapped his head. “You are the Guardian. You fight to protect them all. You will walk freely in daylight and no longer fear the weapons of faith. Your blood will pump so that your demon will be satisfied. No longer will you need to consume it. William has returned to you and will not suffer for your actions. You have chosen your destiny, Warrior. You have surpassed our greatest desires. You make us proud.”

Spike widened his eyes in awe. “Bloody hell.” He held his hand over his now beating heart that pumped his blood throughout his body. He felt himself warming up.

“Just cause you’re family doesn’t mean I have to be nice to you, dead boy,” Xander quipped with a grin.

“I should bloody well hope not, mate. Where’s the fun in that?” Spike joked automatically, holding onto Buffy’s hand as if it were his life line.

“So,” Buffy grabbed everyone’s attention with her perky intervention. “Where are we off to first?”

~*~*~

_1888_  
Vatican City, Rome  
Headquarters of the Knights of the Holy Order. 

Van Helsing slipped into the confessional and tiredly opened with the usual dialogue. “Bless me Father, for I have…”

“Sinned? Yes, I know. You’re very good at that,” Cardinal Jinette interrupted smugly as he opened the partition between them. Sending his emissary a look of resigned disgust he added his complaint. “You shattered the Rose window.”

“Not to split hairs, sir, but it was Mr Hyde that did the shattering,” Van Helsing replied while trying not to show his amusement.

“Thirteenth century, over 600 years old. I wish you a week in hell for that,” the cardinal responded petulantly.

Van Helsing’s expression turned to stone. “It would be a nice reprieve.”

“Don’t get me wrong, your results are unquestionable,” Jinette quickly placated. “But your methods attract too much attention. ‘Wanted’ posters? We are not pleased.”

“Do you think I like being the most wanted man in Europe? Why don’t you and ‘the Order’ do something about it?” the large brunette snapped indignantly.

Cardinal Jinette quickly opened the grating between them before answering the enraged man. “Because we do not exist.”

“Well, then neither do I,” Van Helsing snapped before abruptly standing to leave.

Tapping the button by his side, Cardinal Jinette watched dispassionately as a metal grating dropped into place, barring Van Helsing’s exit. “When we found you crawling up the steps of this church half dead, it was clear to all of us that you had been sent to do God’s work.”

“Why can’t he do it himself?”

“Don’t blaspheme,” Jinette snapped as he opened the hidden rear exit of the confessional booths. “You already lost your memory as penance for past sins,” he continued to talk as he turned and left the box, expecting Van Helsing to follow in his wake. “If you wish to recover it…I suggest you continue to heed the call. Without us the world would be in Darkness. Governments and Empires come and go,” he spoke as they walked down the stairs to the large basement area that housed the working machinations of the Knights of the Holy Order. “But we, we have kept mankind safe since time immemorial. We are the last defense against evil.”

“Actually, I think that would be us,” Buffy chirped with amusement as she and her team stepped out of the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Actually, I think that would be us,” Buffy chirped with amusement as she and her team stepped out of the darkness. 

The religious men around the room grew silent at the sight of the newcomers. They knew that the four hadn't entered the room in any of the traditional ways. Everyone looked to Cardinal Jinette to see his reaction. When Jinette waved them back to work, the din of the room returned to normal.

"Who the hell are you?" Van Helsing growled.

"How did you get in here?" Jinette demanded. 

"We've been sent here to help you with your little vampire problem," Buffy replied. She looked the Cardinal up and down, and she dismissed him as a threat. Now the other man... there was definitely something about him that just screamed warrior.

Van Helsing eyed the four newcomers. He doubted that any of them could take on a creature of the night. Admittedly, he himself hadn't had any dealings with vampires up to this point, but the spokesman of the group was a small, petite blonde girl who didn't look like she could hurt a fly much less a creature of the night. The other woman with the group and one of the men were older. They were hardly a threat in Van Helsing's opinion. The young man might able to fight if he didn't run away scared or get knocked out first.

" _Who_ sent you?" Cardinal Jinette asked. He'd learned early on not to judge a person by their outward appearance, but he was not happy about someone being able to find their way into his secret place.

"The Powers that Be," Buffy replied. She pointed to each of her team as she briefly introduced them. "This is my mother Joyce, our friend Rupert, and my left-hand Spike."

_What kind of name is Spike?_ Van Helsing thought to himself. _None of them stand a chance in Hell against the monsters of the world._ Before he could speak this aloud, the girl continued speaking.

"Look, I know it's kinda sudden," Buffy said. "With us popping in out of nowhere, but hey, we barely got briefed ourselves." She approached Van Helsing and Jinette. She dug into the small purse attached to her wrist, removed a gold coin, and flipped it to the Cardinal.

The red-dressed man looked down at the coin in his hand. He gasped when he recognized the stamp embossed on the front. "They're who they say they are," Jinette sighed. "You'll have help this time, Van Helsing."

"I work alone!" Van Helsing growled.

"Not this time!" Jinette barked in return. He waved for Buffy and her team to follow him to a table where he snapped his fingers. On a screen on the wall a picture of a map appeared. "You are to go to the East."

"Romania?" Giles studied the map. "Not a pleasant place, if the legends are to be trusted."

"Transylvania, actually. It's an accursed land," Jinette replied. "It is terrorized by all kinds of nightmarish creatures, lorded over by a certain Lord Dracula." 

"Dracula?" Van Helsing sounded unsure of the information.

"The real thing or a poser?" Spike spoke for the first time. 

Van Helsing looked at the smaller man. Something about the blond wasn't right, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Jinette snapped his fingers again, and the picture changed to a drawing of a man with long dark hair. "Not a imposter, young man. Now our story starts 450 years ago when a Transylvanian knight named Valerious the Elder promised God that his family would never rest or enter heaven until they vanquished Dracula from their line. They have not succeeded, and they are running out of family. His descendant Voris Valerious, King of the Gypsies..."

"Gypsies," Spike snorted. "Just bloody great. _Romanian_ gypsies."

"Spike," Buffy said with an arched eyebrow. "Can we talk about that later, please?"

Joyce put her hand on Spike's arm. Even though the vampire had accepted the changes given to him by the PTB, she knew that it hadn't quite hit him as of yet. She just hoped the meltdown wouldn't be too messy.

"Fine, Slayer," Spike muttered. He gave Joyce an uneasy smile.

"Slayer?" Jinette stared at the blond girl in surprise. "How can that be? The current Slayer is in..." He turned to wave at a short, bald clergyman. "Jacob, where is the Slayer?"

"She's in Australia, Cardinal Jinette," Jacob called out from where he was working diligently on his project.

"Yes, Australia."

"I'm sure she is," Giles replied. "However Buffy is the Slayer and our leader. I believe you have more to tell us. Then, you can sit down with Joyce and I to talk while Buffy and Spike help Van Helsing collect some weapons."

"Right, right." Jinette nodded in agreement. He knew there was more to this whole situation, and he would just have to trust that God knew what he was doing. He snapped his fingers for the picture on the screen to change again to that of a handsome young man. "Voris Valerious disappeared about twelve months ago, leaving his son Prince Velkan, and his daughter Princess Anna." Jinette snapped his fingers again, and the picture became that of a beautiful young woman.

Van Helsing moved closer to get a better look. He was mesmerized by the girl's beauty. Something about her called out to him.

"If they are killed before Dracula, nine generations of their family will not enter the gates of St. Peter. They will slip into purgatory." Cardinal Jinette looked at each person individually. "We cannot allow that to happen."

"That would be most unfortunate," Giles agreed. "Is there anything else we need to know?"

"Yes, one more thing." Jinette took a metal cylinder from a young oriental man, and he went to a nearby table. "Valerious the Elder left this scroll here over 400 years ago." He unfurled the parchment. "We don't know it's purpose, but Valerious wouldn't have left it lightly."

Van Helsing and Giles both joined Jinette at the table where they peered down at the scroll. Van Helsing looked at Jinette for a translation of the words on the paper.

"The Latin inscription translates as 'In the name of God, open this door'. There is an insignia." The cardinal unrolled the scroll even more. He didn't even seem startled when Van Helsing gasped and brought his hand up to match his ring to the insignia. "Yes, it matches the ring," Jinette agreed with Van Helsing's silent question. "I think in Transylvania you'll find the answers you seek."

Van Helsing turned to stare at Anna's picture as he wondered if _she_ might be what it was that he was seeking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Van Helsing motioned for Buffy and Spike to follow him. They weaved their way through the throng of religious men towards the stairs that went further down into the workshop. There they saw a clean-cut young man in brown robes attempting an experiment with electricity.

Carl looked up from his experiment just in time to see Van Helsing arrive with two blonds that he didn't recognize. He was surprised to see the female, since they weren't normally allowed into the bowels of the church. Just then the experiment exploded, and the man that was helping him was shocked with a great amount of electricity.

"Sorry," Carl shouted back at the man before he turned his attention to Van Helsing. "Ah, there you are. Did you bring Mr. Hyde back, or did you kill him." He didn't wait for Van Helsing to answer. "You killed him, didn't you? That's why they get so annoyed."

"Calm down, Carl," Van Helsing growled. "It's not like I did it on purpose."

"Who are they?" Carl demanded, pointing at the two blonds.

"This is Spike and Buffy," Van Helsing replied. "They're helping me with the newest problem." He turned to look at some swords that were beside him.

"Ah yes, vampires." Carl nodded. He tutted when Van Helsing touched one of the largest of the blades. "Anyone can make swords."

"Swords are nice," Buffy said. "Always good for chopping off heads."

"Or sending big brooding poofters to hell," Spike chuckled. He grunted when Buffy elbowed him. "Lay off, pet. You're gonna give me bruises."

"Don't be such a big baby, Spikey." Buffy walked over to pick up the heaviest of swords. "This one is nice. I'll take it." She smiled at the blacksmith. "Thanks."

"You're gonna need more than swords," Carl announced. He grabbed Van Helsing, and he pulled the larger man over to a table where he thrust a canvas bag into his hands. “Here. Rings of garlic." He gave the garlic to Van Helsing. "Holy water. Silver stake. Crucifix."

Buffy followed Van Helsing and Carl as she studied the things on the table. She raised an eyebrow at the silver stakes before she turned to Spike, and said, "I didn't think vamps were allergic to silver."

"News to me." Spike shrugged as he walked over to pick up one of the stakes. "Fyarl demons are allergic to silver. And, werewolves, of course. There are other types of vamps, but they don't like Hellmouths. So, you probably don't see 'em."

"Hellmouth?" Carl squeaked.

"Yeah, good old Sunnyhell." Spike jumped when a machine gun went off near him. 

Van Helsing looked at the machine gun with much interest. "Why can't I have one of those?" he asked with a little bit of awe in his voice.

"Unless the bullets are wooden or made of holy water, they don't do much to a vampire," Buffy replied. "I mean really, the only thing that kills a vamp is a stake through the heart, sunlight, or a beheading. Even then, if they're really old, their bones have to be destroyed and thrown into running water for them to lose all their power."

"What's this?" Spike asked. He was examining a glass bottle of glowing liquid.

"Oh, that's something new." Carl hurried over to join the blond. "Glycerin 48. Look at what it can do." He turned the spigot on the bottle and let a droplet of the liquid pour out on his finger. Carl turned to flick the droplet towards an area where nobody was standing. As soon as the liquid hit the floor, it burst into flame and a huge explosion rocked the room.

The other priest screamed at Carl, who just yelled out sorry at them all. He was unconcerned about how they felt about him. He knew they were all just jealous of his genius anyway. He shooed Van Helsing and the two blonds closer to his work table.

"Ah, here's my latest invention." Carl picked up a formable crossbow. "It's gas propelled, capable of catapulting arrows in a rapid succession at tremendous velocity. Pull the trigger and hold on." He handed the weapon to Van Helsing.

"How many of those have you made?" Buffy asked. She was admiring the weapon in Van Helsing's hands. She turned to smirk at Spike. "Good thing for you, I didn't have one of those back in Sunnydale."

"Ha, bloody, ha, Slayer." Spike rolled his eyes at the Slayer.

"I've only made one at this time," Carl answered Buffy's question. "If I had more time before you had to leave, I suppose I could make another."

"Don't worry, Carl." Van Helsing smirked at the young priest. "You'll have plenty of time to work on it on the way to Transylvania."

"What? The hell be damned if I will." Carl gaped at the taller, dark-haired man. "I can't go to Transylvania."

"You cursed!" Van Helsing looked at the shorter man with pride. "Not very well, mind you. You are a monk after all."

"Actually I'm a friar, and I can curse all I want." Carl smirked at Van Helsing. "Damn it," he continued with a cocky smirk. Then, he noticed Spike was holding his most prized possession. "Hey, be careful with that. I've been working on that for twelve years." Carl hurried over to take the round glass container away from the blond man.

"What is it?"

"It's compressed magma from Mount Vesuvius and pure alkaline from the Gobi Desert." Carl walked around the table to a cabinet. He placed the glass bottle inside, and then he removed the helmet he was wearing.

"What's it for?" Buffy spoke up. She was still studying the gas-propelled crossbow.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it'll come in handy somehow." Carl took a black box out of the cabinet, which he stuck inside of Van Helsing's canvas bag.

"Twelve years, and you don't know what it does?" Spike scoffed.

"I didn't say that!" Carl gave the blond a dirty look. "I said, I didn't know what it was for. What it does is to create a light source with the intensity of the sun."

"That might come in handy," Van Helsing said. "You just might get to use it while we're in Transylvania."

"I told you I'm not going with you..." Carl trailed off when he saw the look on Van Helsing's face. "I'm going to Transylvania," he sighed. "But if I die, I'm coming back to haunt you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

**_MEANWHILE IN TRANSYLVANIA_ **

Cawing echoed eerily through the foggy woods. The sun pushed its light weakly trough the ground cover. Velkan waited patiently for the werewolf that he knew was stalking his location to emerge. He tightened his grip on the rope he would use to leap to the top of the pole he was leaning against in a false sacrifice. Everything had to go just right for the werewolf to be trapped. For his people and his sister, he knew things couldn't go wrong.

"Come on, Dracula unleashed you for a reason," Velkan muttered. His words were echoed by a low growl.

The werewolf burst out of the trees, and it raced towards the seemingly vulnerable human. As it got close, the gypsy prince leap to the top of the pole, just as planned. From there he leapt for the rope that was hanging down for him, even as he could feel the heat of the werewolf's breath on his legs.

Velkan's right hand man Anton pulled the lever attached to the rope that the Prince was now dangling from. He watched in horror as the rope slid through the pulley only to become stuck with Velkan dangling only inches from the werewolf leaping towards him.

"Pull me up! Pull me up!" Velkan screamed as he pulled his legs out of the werewolf's reach again.

"It's stuck!" Anton yelled back. He pushed and pulled on the lever a few times, but it just wouldn't budge any further. Behind him in the bushes, he could hear Princess Anna start to yell at one of the other men about Velkan being her brother. Anton was surprised when with a pop, four newcomers appeared in the clearing. He was about to shout a warning to them when the petite red-headed woman threw her hands up, her fingers outstretched.

The werewolf froze for an instant before toppling into the trap below the pole. 

"Cut the rope, cut the rope," Velkan yelled.

Anton whirled around to cut the rope that would spring the cage to entrap the werewolf. The cage swept upward at a terrible speed, and it would have hit Prince Velkan if the little redhead hadn't used her magic to hurl him out of the way. Anton knew it was magic. He had never seen it himself, but his grandmother had told him the stories.

"Velkan," Anna yelled. She ran to her brother and helped him sit up. "Where is your gun? You must shoot the beast." 

"Help me to my feet, Anna," Velkan rasped. When she had done as he had asked, he pulled his gun from his waistband, and he leveled it at the cage. He cocked the safety, pulled the trigger, and with a satisfying blast the bullet left the muzzle. Velkan knew he had killed his target when the cage listed towards one side.

"Hi, I'm Willow." The red-haired girl thrust her hand out towards Velkan and Anna. "You must be Prince Velkan and Princess Anna. We were sent here from the Powers to ensure that you didn't get bitten by that werewolf. Oh, and this is Oz, Xander, and Cordelia." She pointed to each of her companions as she introduced them.

"Why is it important that my brother wasn't bitten?" Anna asked.

"Because if you both die in the battle that defeats Dracula, your family will die out completely," Cordelia said. "There's still plenty of evil in the world for you to fight against."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The journey allowed Buffy and Spike a chance to get to know one another better. Although neither of them would admit it, they actually enjoyed the bonding opportunities. Giles delighted in Spike’s knowledge and intellect. Joyce reveled in having a ‘son’ to mother, and Buffy felt torn. While she was happy with the choice, she had made she couldn’t help feeling a little cheated that her mother and Watcher hadn’t accepted Angel as much as they did the blond vampire. Then she’d see Spike basking in the warmth of the sun with an expression of such boyish innocence on his face that she just had to smile in indulgence. The bastard was worming his way into her heart, and she didn’t know how she felt about that.

From the ship they’d moved to horses. Van Helsing took the lead with Carl following closely at his heels as they travelled quickly through the snow covered mountains.

The Sunnydale group hadn’t been able to break through the demon hunter’s façade. He continued to stoically hold them at arms length, and it was seriously beginning to piss the Slayer off. When they finally reached the town they had been sent to, the six travellers dismounted and tied up their horses before shouldering their bags and moving towards the town square.

“So, what do you remember?” Carl asked the surly demon hunter.

“Not now Carl.” Van Helsing looked around and was a little surprised to find that three of his traveling companions were clearly alerted to the possibility of danger. So far there had been no indication as to what was so special about the newcomers that the Cardinal would insist on their involvement. He hated not knowing what was going on. He had enough of that with the loss of his memories he really didn’t need any more mysteries.

“There must be something?” the monk insisted.

“I remember fighting the Romans at Masada,” Van Helsing replied absently.

Giles and Spike pinned him with their glares.

“That was in seventy-three A.D.” Carl replied, shocked.

“You asked.” Van Helsing shrugged indifferently, his eyes locked firmly with the older of his traveling companions.

Giles studied the man that had just admitted to being around for over seventeen hundred years. His curiosity burned.

Spike moved around so that he could get a side view of the large brunette. Suspicion filled him. If this git was who he thought he might be, the vampire knew he’d have to come up with a plan that would get the Slayer to let him kill the wanker. Until that happened, he’d be making damn sure the bastard kept his slimy hands off his family!

Buffy ignored the conversation, far too concerned with the growing crowd of unhappy villagers that seemed to be following them.

“What are we doing here? Why is it so important to kill this Dracula, anyway?” Carl continued questioning, complete oblivious to the tension surrounding them.

“Because he’s the son of the Devil,” Van Helsing answered flatly.

Buffy, Spike and Giles shared a look of amusement.

“I mean besides that?” Carl persisted.

“Because if we kill him, anything bitten or created by him will also die,” Van Helsing announced with finality.

“Huh? Since when?” Buffy asked in confusion.

“Bat Clan, pet, they’re different from the vamps you’re used to,” Spike offered quietly. The growing crowd was beginning to itch at his senses. He hadn’t been around a crowd this size since Prague.

“You mean, as opposed to the Wolf Clan, correct?” Giles asked the vampire.

As Spike nodded in agreement, Carl continued his questioning. “I mean besides that?”

“Welcome to Transylvania,” a pale man with long blond hair addressed the group.

“Okay, so we have Riff Raff, where are Brad, Janet and Frankenfurter?” Buffy smirked as she gave the man with the top hat the once over.

Giles, Joyce and Spike snickered in appreciation. 

Van Helsing sighed deeply, dropped his bag and turned to face the crowd that was attempting to intimidate the newcomers. Axes and large hammers were slapped against palms in menacing manners.

“Is it always like this?” Carl asked tremulously.

“Pretty much,” Van Helsing, Spike and Buffy replied in unison.

The clicking of high heels sounded from behind them and a strong female voice called out imperiously. “You, turn around.”

The six travelers turned in unison.

Buffy’s jaw dropped almost to the ground. “Giles!” she called accusingly as she stamped her foot. “You told me I had to wear this stupid dress. You said women of this time don’t wear pants.” Throwing her hands dramatically up like a game show hostess showing off a prize, Buffy directed their gaze to the woman that had addressed them.

Anna Valerious.

Her beautiful face was surrounded by long loose curls of shiny brown. Tight fitting black pants and knee high boots covered her lower half while her top was covered with a orange and white peasant blouse under a black bustier covered with elegant silver clasps. The look was completed with a tiny bolero jacket and a large silver cross.

Anna ignored the ranting blonde woman and faced the dark haired male.

“Let me see your face,” she demanded.

“Why?” Van Helsing countered.

“Because we don’t trust strangers,” she replied coldly.

“That is so true. It took ages for them to accept that we were who we said we were. They were all, ooh, strangers – bad, and we were all No! No! We’re the good guys. They were really making me cranky.”

“Willow!” Buffy shouted gleefully.

Xander, Oz and Cordelia stepped up next to the excited witch. Buffy took one look at what the redhead and brunette were wearing and sent a growl towards her Watcher before firmly grabbing the waist of her full skirted gown and ripping the offending bottom half of the garment away, leaving her comfortable black stretch jeans tucked into the natty little black ankle boots that she wore.

“Buffy!” Giles shook his head in exasperation.

“What?” she questioned innocently before pointing to the sky behind her friends. “We got incoming, and we are so talking about the whole vamp flying thing after we get done.”

“The brides can fly ‘cause Drac can,” Spike informed her as he dropped his bag and quickly threw her the gas propelled crossbow that Carl had constructed for her while they were on the boat. With his left hand he picked out an axe and expertly twisted it as he bounced on his toes.

“What? They like get it as turning present?” Buffy continued her conversation as Van Helsing started firing indiscriminately at the flying vampires.

“EVERYBODY INSIDE!” Anna yelled loudly causing the crowd to scatter in all directions; panic in their movements made them stumble and fall in their haste.

Xander grabbed Joyce and Cordelia ushering them into the nearest building while Giles grabbed Willow and Carl, urging them towards the church.

“Yeah somethin’ like that,” Spike answered Buffy’s earlier question.

“Then how come you’re not nuts?”

“I’m working with you, Slayer. I’d call that nuts.” Spike snarked as they both focused on the approaching vamps.

“So not what I meant, doofus.”

Spike grinned before giving her the answer she was looking for. “Becoming a vamp didn’t make Dru insane - Angelus did – and since her being insane wasn't the demon it didn’t get passed on to me.”

Van Helsing continued to shoot his darts, focusing on the blonde vampiress as she flew past him. Behind him the redheaded vampiress lined him up and dove for him.

Spotting the incoming vampiress, Anna rushed to Van Helsing and knocked him to the ground causing the redhead to miss her target. Spinning back midair the vampire grabbed at Anna with her taloned feet and carried the struggling gypsy into the air.

Van Helsing jumped to his feet and ran at full speed after the Gypsy Princess. With an adrenalin charged leap, the demon hunter caught onto the ankles of the captured girl. The added weight was too much for the vampire, and the two were unceremoniously dropped to the ground.

“Stay here,” he demanded gruffly.

Anna twisted their positions so that she was now the one lying on top. “You stay here. They’re trying to kill me.”

“How ‘bout you both stay here and try to stay out of our way,” Buffy chirped sarcastically. Stupid amateurs getting in her way! “Or better yet, get inside and stay there.”

With a slight push, Anna was directed to a nearby building. 

Van Helsing moved towards Anna, then looked back to where they had fallen realizing he’d left his crossbow.

Above them they heard the brunette bride call to one of her companions, “Marishka, kill the strangers.”

“Love to,” the blonde responded in a feral tone as she turned to face the three in the street.

Van Helsing darted towards his weapon then lifted it and fired at the grinning Marishka. He stared in horror at the gun when it stopped working. He cast a panicked glance at the weapons creator. “Carl, Carl, it’s not working.”

Carl reached into his own bag and retrieved a bundle of arrows. Throwing them to the brunette he yelled his advice, “Try to aim at their hearts.”

As Marishka dove for the harried demon hunter, Buffy lined up her shot, jumped into a spinning round house kick and connected, sending the screaming blonde into the air spinning out of control. 

Seeing what happened to her sister bride, the brunette vampiress charged at Buffy. Her angry scream announced her intent. So focused on her target she failed to notice the blond stranger that darted forward. As she flew past him, Spike grabbed her ankle and, in a bizarre re-enactment of an Olympic Hammer throw event, he spun her round and round before letting her go. Her trajectory sent her through the roof of a near by building.

Van Helsing lowered his gun as the sun came out, and all signs of the three vampires disappeared.

Anna stepped out of the building she had been hiding in. Buffy and Spike moved closer to the gypsy princess instinctively knowing that the threat to her was not gone. 

“Aleera, Marishka and Verona will be back. They hide only from the sun.” Anna offered quietly.

A sound behind them had them all jumping. Buffy and Spike moved closer to the deep well at the square’s centre. Van Helsing lifted his crossbow, pointing it towards the well and followed the two blonds in that direction. Anna picked up a machete and moved closer, too.

Carl watched as the sun once again become hidden by the clouds and called out his warning, “Van Helsing!”

The redhead vampiress shot out of the well like a bullet, catching up the gypsy princess on her way. Looking back at her prisoner she taunted, “Do you like to fly, Anna?”

Buffy and Van Helsing lifted their crossbows, but neither one was able to lock onto their target.

Reaching into her boot, Anna pulled out a knife, stabbing her captor in the ankle. With a screech of rage the redhead tossed the gypsy to her brunette sister. Before she could move, the brunette bride was pierced by a bolt from Van Helsing’s gun, causing her to drop her prisoner.

As soon as she reached the ground, Anna darted inside the nearest building.

Enraged by the interference of the strangers, the blonde vampiress charged at the tall brunette holding the strange cross bow. As she neared, the demon hunter calmly lifted his weapon and began firing. With a shriek of rage she crashed through the roof of a nearby building.

Anna raced inside the building, carefully locking the door after her. Her heart raced as she backed away from the door. A noise behind her alerted the gypsy to the fact that she was not as alone as she thought. 

A face appeared in front of her. “Hello, Anna.”

Hanging upside down from the rafters the redhead vampire crawled over the beam and dropped smoothly to the floor before taking on her human form. 

“Nice to see you, too, Aleera,” Anna responded, panting deeply.

~*~*~

Buffy and Spike joined Van Helsing as he moved cautiously closer to the house where the blonde vampire had fallen. Still not used to fighting a flying vampire, the three were surprised when she jetted out of the house, knocking them all down. Van Helsing eyes darted between his fallen weapon and the vampiress that landed smoothly onto the handrail of the house porch. 

With exaggerated casualness Marishka walked the hand rail as she removed darts from her body and morphed into her human guise.

“OH! MY! GOD! Can you say skanky ho?” Buffy snorted in derision at the ‘Arabian nights’ outfit the bride was wearing.

~*~*~

Anna stepped backwards, away from the vampiress. “Did I do something to you in a past life?”

“Don’t’ play coy with me, Princess,” Aleera snapped in distaste.

Anna turned swiftly; running for the door. Her breathing became labored with her fear when she pulled the door open only to discover the vampiress had used her magic to transport herself there. 

“I know what lurks in your lusting heart,” Aleera taunted as she moved closer to her prey.

“I hope you have a heart, Aleera…because someday I’m going to drive a stake through it,” Anna spoke through gritted teeth.

In swift retribution Aleera slapped the frightened gypsy, knocking her backwards and out through the boarded up window. 

Not looking back, Anna lifted herself off the ground and hastened to another building.

~*~*~

Van Helsing eyed his weapon and then the vampire that was taunting them. He calculated his chances for a successful shot. 

Carl watched in trepidation, desperately wishing he could be of more help. As his lowering eyes spied his bag he gasped at his own stupidity. He quickly retrieved the bottle he was looking for. Catching his companion’s eye, the friar threw the bottle to be caught yelling ‘Holy Water’ as he did.

The dark haired vampiress, Verona, intercepted the airborne missile then disposed of it by throwing down the village well. Turning to her sister bride, Verona snarled, “Stop your teasing, Marishka, and finish them.”

Verona flew deeper into the town as Marishka faced her adversaries. She looked over Spike and grinned as her teeth elongated. “Too bad, so sad.”

Carl grabbed Van Helsing’s attention, pointing to the font of holy water in front of the church so neither saw when Spike flashed his own game face and snarled at the shocked blonde vampiress. “Any bird that would marry that ponce Drac, deserves to be dust.”

~*~*~

Sneaking into the next building Anna was frustrated to find Aleera seated at the dining table over which she has draped the dead body of her victim. Lifting a glass filled with red liquid the redhead took a sip. “Thirty years old and perfectly aged.”

Anna gasped in horror, looking towards the door and her only means of escape. Within the open doorway stood the beautiful form of the third bride, Verona. “Hello, Anna, my dear.”

Spinning away, Anna was horrified to find herself face to face with Aleera. As the redhead moved closer, Anna backed up.

Verona moved to join her sister bride as they stalked the terrified gypsy. “The last of the Valerians.”

“My brother lives,” Anna contradicted them in defiance.

“Not for long,” Verona countered.

~*~*~

Van Helsing inched closer to his weapon as his two blond companions distracted Marishka. 

“A Vampire? How delicious. Why don’t you join us,” she offered seductively. “I’m sure we can make it worth your while.”

“Excuse me?” Buffy snapped indignantly. “Get your own vampire. This one’s mine.”

Marishka laughed. “You think you are woman enough to satisfy a demon? You know nothing, foolish mortal.”

Buffy smiled smugly, she might not be willing to let this bitch know she was as much a mortal as the skanky blonde Transylvanian Barbie was chaste, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t introduce the scatter brained bimbette to her old friend Mr. Pointy. Whipping the ever present stake out of it’s holder at the centre of her back, the Slayer smiled. “Why don’t you try and show me just how mortal you think I am.”

Spike crossed his arms and smirked. “This’ll be fun.”

~*~*~

Anna threw out a clumsy punch only to have her arm caught and twisted, bringing the gypsy to her knees.

Verona leaned in and scented the trembling girl. “I can feel fresh blood rushing through her veins.”

~*~*~

As Marishka focused on the two that challenged her, Van Helsing snatched up his weapon and ran to the font. His movement drew the vampire’s attention. With a hiss at Buffy and Spike, the blond took to the air after the running brunette.

Carl shouted loudly, warning his friend of Marishka’s advance.

Dipping the cross bow into the font of holy water, Van Helsing then spun and fired.

~*~*~

Verona and Aleera leaned in to bite their prey.

~*~*~

Marishka drew back in fear as the first bolt entered her body. The holy water seared and burned each piece of flesh it touched. She writhed in mid air as the agony of her injuries ate at her.

Van Helsing continued to fire as her smoking body crashed against the roof of a building. More bolts entered her body, pinning her in place in the image of an unholy crucifixion.

~*~*~

Verona and Aleera snarled in horror as the agony of their mate ripped through them. In pain, anguish and despair the two morphed into their natural forms, burst through the roof and left the damaged town, weeping and wailing as they flew. 

Van Helsing was soon joined by the rest of his traveling companions and the others of the Order of the Light.

As they watched in silence, Marishka gave her final scream and crumbled to dust.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Now that... was fun!" Spike hooted. He grinned at the blonde Slayer. "We should do that more often."

"What? Flirt with skanky hos?" Buffy growled.

"Are you jealous, Slayer?" Spike arched an eyebrow at Buffy.

"What?" Buffy's eyes widened at the vampire's question. "No." She shook her head in denial as she said the word again. "NO!"

"Keep telling yourself that. Maybe somebody else will believe you." Later, Spike wouldn't be able to explain his next actions. He grabbed Buffy by the shoulders, pulled her to him, and kissed her.

Van Helsing crossed himself when the vampire bride finished turning to dust. He walked towards the church steps, stopping long enough to pick up his hat. He noticed the two kissing blonds. He had wondered how long it would take them to resolve their attraction.

Buffy flung herself back from Spike, her hand covering her mouth. They stared at each other with confusion until the villagers started to gather again.

"He killed a bride." A voice rang out in the crisp, cool air.

"He killed Mariska," another villager yelled.

Spike and Buffy quickly went to Van Helsing's side, ignoring each other and their kiss. They surveyed the crowd as they quickly assessed the worst of the threats.

"But, isn't that a good thing?" Carl asked hesitantly. He glanced over at Van Helsing.

"Vampires only kill what they need." The man that Buffy had called Riff Raff came to the front of the crowd. "One or two people a month. Now they will kill for revenge."

"Vamps need a lot more blood than that," Spike scoffed. "Just means they're feedin' someplace else and keepin' you around for another purpose."

"Are you always this popular?" Carl eyed the grumbling crowd with trepidation.

"Pretty much," Van Helsing, Spike and Buffy spoke at one time.

"What names should I carve on your tombstones?" Riff Raff asked.

"Not sure about those two." Princess Anna Valerious strode through the crowd. "But this one is Van Helsing." She gave the demon hunter a calculating look. "Your reputation precedes you."

The crowd gasped when they heard the warrior's name. They turned away in dread, knowing that this didn't bode well for their village.

"That was so great, Buffy." Willow streaked through the villagers. "If I didn't know better I'd say you and Spike had been fighting together forever."

"You mean all the times I kicked his ass don't count?" Buffy asked cheekily. She caught herself before she turned to wink at the vampire.

Van Helsing slapped his hat on his head, rose to his feet, and shouldered his crossbow. He approached Anna, and said, "Next time stay close. You're no good to me dead."

Anna gave Van Helsing a wary smile. "Well, I have to say this about you, you've got courage." She turned her head to address the crowd. "He's the first one to kill a vampire in over 100 years." She turned back to the demon hunters. "I'd say that earns him a drink."

Buffy rolled her eyes at the gypsy's words. It was obvious to her that the Council had already given up on the region. Of course, flying vampires did seem a little harder to kill than the average stay-on-the-ground kind. Maybe it was time for a Scooby meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow grabbed Buffy's arm, keeping her eye on Van Helsing, Anna and Spike. She hissed, "You're lucky Xander didn't see you kiss Spike. He would have wigged."

"Forget about Xander," Buffy whispered in return. "I think I'm wigged." She stared at Spike, who was striding across the courtyard in front of them.

"It was that bad?" 

"No, it was that good, Wills." Buffy glanced over at the red-haired witch. "I can't fall for another vampire! It's just not normal."

Willow stopped in her tracks, stopping her friend with her. "Maybe you need to redefine normal, Buffy. Maybe vampires in general, and Spike specifically, are normal for the leader of the Order of the Light. Did you ever think of that?"

"But..." Buffy bit her bottom lip before she could say anything else.

"We're immortal now," Willow continued. "Who better for an immortal Slayer than an immortal vampire? The rest of us didn't get any extra physical strength, not like you and Spike already have. I say give it a chance, Buffy."

"What if don't work out, and we don't like each other? What then?"

Willow shook her head as she chuckled. "But what if it does work out. and you guys are perfect for each other. If you don't take the chance, you'll never know."

"It wasn't working with Angel, and he was a vampire," Buffy protested. 

Willow stared at Buffy while she wondered what words she could use to convince her gun shy friend to give the bleached blond vampire a chance. Despite everything, Spike had never scared her the way Angelus had. Spike's only purpose had been going after Buffy, and he hadn't used any of her friends for it like his grandsire had. Willow was sure that mentioning that little fact wouldn't get any brownie points with the Slayer.

"Besides, maybe it was just the fight," Buffy said softly. "You know Faith's motto; fighting makes her hungry and horny."

"Did fighting beside Angel ever make you hungry and horny?" Willow asked slyly. A quick idea hit her just as she asked the question, and she blinked her eyes, casting a little truth spell

"What?" Buffy blinked in surprise at the shy girl's question. "NO! That's so gross." She huffed in disgust before she divulged a deep, dark secret. "But fighting Spike made me hungry and horny. I was really upset when I found out about the wheelchair because I knew I couldn't fight him." She widened her eyes in panic at what she'd just revealed to her friend. She waited for the recriminations to start about lusting after a soulless Spike.

Willow uncast the truth spell just as quickly as she had cast it. "Well, there you have it, then. It's always been there, and Angel was just a substitute for the vampire you really wanted. What if _he_ is your _destined mate; one who is truly your equal; one who loves as deeply as you and who will love you with his entire being._ " The witch repeated the words that the PTB portrayed by Kendra had given them in the briefing.

"You are completely bonkers, Willow," Buffy giggled and shook her head. "Okay, for you, I'll consider that maybe there is a possibility with Spike, but I'm not making any first moves. I'm not sure I could handle it if he shot me down." She started to drag Willow in the direction that the others had gone. "Do you think they have hot chocolate here?"

"I don't think so," Willow answered. She let Buffy lead her into the nearby building. As they were walking down the hallways towards where they heard the other Scoobies chatting, Willow saw the flash of bleached blond hair out of the corner of her eye. "I need to use the little girl's room, Buffy. I'll be right there." She waited for Buffy to continue up the hallway before she entered the room where Spike was staring out a window.

"Come to tell me to stay away from the Slayer, Red?" Spike growled bitterly. He didn't even turn to look at the witch.

"No, not really," Willow replied. She went to stand next to the vampire, and she too stared out onto the icy landscape. "I was curious about something though."

"Yeah? What?"

"Why did you kiss Buffy, anyway?" Willow looked at Spike from the corner of her eye.

"I don't know," Spike muttered. "It just happened." He was dying for a cigarette, but he'd already smoked one just a few minutes before.

"What about Drusilla?" Willow asked politely. Outside, she could see that the villagers had returned to their activities with a careful eye turned towards the skies in case the vampires came back.

Spike glanced at Willow. He realized that he probably should answer her questions. She did seem the type to keep it up until she got the answers she wanted anyway. "She dumped me for a bleedin' Chaos demon." Spike shuddered in memory. "Have you ever seen one? They have antlers and slime. They're disgusting."

"I thought everything was good between you two." Willow felt surprised at the vampire's admission.

"No, she said I'd gone soft after the truce with Buffy." Spike shook his head. "Dru said that she could see the Slayer floating all around me, laughing. Wonder if she knew this was gonna happen."

"Buffy hasn't had the best luck with guys, and I'm not just talking about Angel either," Willow said almost to herself, but she knew the vampire was still listening. "I know she comes across all confident and in control, but she's really not. Her first official date in Sunnydale ended up in a funeral home looking for the Anointed One. Needless to say, it didn't end well. You know what happened with the next one, since you were there for the fun and scares of Angelus. She tried again just a few months ago, but it was a bust too."

"So, you're saying the Slayer has tragic taste in men?"

"Yeah, kinda." Willow nodded. "But if a certain suave vampire made the first move, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't turn him down."

"We're enemies, pet. It'll never work." Spike sighed before he turned away from Willow. It wasn't as though he'd had the best luck with the opposite sex either, but he wasn't about to parade his failures around anymore than he already had.

"Not enemies anymore." Willow shook her head at the stubborn vampire. "Why did you kiss Buffy?" She cast the same little truth spell on Spike as she had used on Buffy.

"Because she fuckin' turns me on when she fights. Since the first moment I saw her, I've wanted her." Spike stared at Willow in disbelief. "What did you do to me, witch?"

"Just a little spell." Willow waved her hand to dispense with the magic. "You two are perfect for each other. Now if you'd just take my word for it. Make the first move, big boy, or I'll make you make it." She gave him a cheeky grin before she left him to his thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy glanced over at the doorway while she wondered where Spike was. He wasn't in the room, and she hoped he wasn't in trouble. _Stupid vamp. Always into something he shouldn't be._ Just then, Willow came into the room, and she gave Buffy a wink and a thumbs up sign. 

Within minutes, Spike entered the room where the Order of the Light, Van Helsing, and the gypsies were gathered. He went immediately to Buffy's side where he sat in an empty chair. Spike glanced around to see if any of the others had noticed how close he was to the Slayer, but Willow was talking quietly to Oz and Cordy, Xander was in a conference with Carl about weapons. Van Helsing, the Watcher, Joyce, and the two gypsies were looking at a map spread out on a table.

Spike felt unsure of how to approach the Slayer about with the possibility of them becoming something more than just slaying buddies. He hadn't told Willow about his own tragic taste in women. Cecily was probably the world's biggest bitch, and Drusilla lived only for her precious Daddy. Spike cleared his throat, and he opened his mouth to speak, "Buffy, I... um... I've really enjoyed your company lately, and I was wonderin' if you might be willin' to let me court you?" The vampire could feel William attempting burst through, and he firmly clamped down on the poncy bugger.

Buffy bit her lip shyly, and she answered with a slight nod. She glanced over at the now grinning vampire. His joy was contagious, and she found herself grinning in return.

"We need to come up with a better plan than that," Giles protested loudly. "We can't just storm the castle and hope for the best. No matter how well it worked in the past for all of us."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Van Helsing replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

“I’ll help,”

Willow looked at her boyfriend blankly, sure that she had misheard. “Huh?”

“I’ll help,” Oz reiterated quietly with a shrug.

“You’re gonna help with the matchmaking and Xander control?” Willow kept her voice low as she confirmed with the werewolf what exactly it was he was volunteering for. Sure, she hadn’t doubted for a minute that he would support her idea, but she hadn’t dreamed that he’d actually get involved.

“I made a vow,” he murmured casually. “And they fit.” Oz shrugged his shoulders.

“Go Oz.” Cordelia lifted a delicate eyebrow as she gave the teen a concerned look. “If only my bonehead could be so enlightened.”

Willow giggled then cast her guilty eyes in the direction of the other male Scooby, glad to note he seemed deep in conversation with the Friar. As she turned her gaze back to her two co-conspirators she was pleased to note the shy glances the two blonds were sharing. With a slight tilt of her head she indicated to Cordelia and Oz that they should also take note of the blossoming romance. “Looks like our job just got easier.”

With a shared smile the three turned back to face the group as Buffy’s voice rang out.

“Where do we find Dracula?”

~*~*~

“This is so cool,” Xander grinned in excitement as he studied the gas propelled crossbow. Putting down the weapon, he pointed to the metal box. “And that holds the housing for the compressed volcano magma and the stuff from the desert?”

“Yes, it has the ability to produce a light source with the sun’s intensity,” Carl explained.

Xander thought for a moment, his new abilities actively utilized. “How many times can it be used?”

“Well… only the once actually,” Carl replied regretfully.

“Well then,” Xander started with a smug grin. “I think it’s about time we thought about how to make something so handy become a renewable resource.”

“Is that possible?” Carl asked, intrigued by the possibility.

“Since I’ve known Buffy, I’ve come to realize that pretty much anything is possible,” Xander replied with a chuckle.

Glancing over at the tiny slayer, Carl felt the need to have his curiosity sated. “Don’t you think the developing relationship between those two might leave them open to distraction? Can we afford that at this time?”

Xander frowned as he glanced at his friend and the vampire by her side. Then sighed deeply in resignation before turning back to the man at his side. “Actually, it probably helps us. Buffy’s uber protective of her loved ones, and from what I’ve been told Spike’s the same. As much as I hate to see her falling for this one, at least he’s got personality. I seriously hated her last boyfriend.”

Carl smiled in bemusement, he’d managed to understand most of what the youth was saying, enough to understand the gist of it. Most of the expressions used by the group of newcomers went completely over his head.

Their attentions were brought back to the fore when Buffy took that moment to ask a question to the group as a whole.

“Where do we find Dracula?”

~*~*~

Buffy giggled inwardly. Spike had asked to court her, and how cute was that? She pondered over the chances that he was the one the Powers had referred to and was more than a little hopeful that he was. Her mind drifted to instances where she’d seen first hand how much he loved Drusilla. Angelus would have let her dust rather than give up a roomful of hostages, but that option hadn’t even crossed Spike’s mind. 

Thoughts of Drusilla and Angelus brought forward a softly spoken observation. “If I didn’t already know Dru was nuts, I would have worked it out when she chose Angelus over you.”

Spike reached over and gently gave her hand a squeeze. He really didn’t trust himself to speak. So much had changed in so short a time that he was having a hard time controlling his emotions. The idea of _anyone_ choosing him over Angelus was making his inner battle all the more difficult. His demon was already giving him a hard time over his poncy request to court the Slayer. The beast thought that shackling her to a bed was the way to go, and he had to fight those urges back for the moment.

Spike chased his meandering thoughts away as Buffy spoke. It was time to get back to business.

“Where do we find Dracula?”

~*~*~

Van Helsing, Giles and the two gypsies studied the map of the local terrain which the Valerians had laid out on the large table the entire group was seated around.

Joyce surreptitiously watched her daughter and the blond vampire. She grinned a little at the sight. She was thrilled to see a return of the light hearted daughter she had missed so much. Although she hadn’t been aware of Buffy’s slayer status at the time, her mother’s eyes had seen the negative changes. She had spent many a night wishing she could aid her child in whatever it was that was sucking the life out of her. 

When Joyce had first discovered about slayers and creatures of the night, she had blamed that for the change in Buffy. Later, when she’d learned about Angelus or Angel _‘or whatever name he was calling himself this week’_ she thought derisively, she had found a new target to blame. She had tried to understand what her daughter saw in him, but it escaped her completely. He was too old, too unstable and entirely too boring for her beautiful and lively daughter. She turned her attention back to the group that surrounded her when Anna started to speak.

“So how did you get here?”

“We came by sea,” Giles responded absently, his mind still focused on the map before him.

“Really? The sea?” Anna asked wistfully.

“Well, yes.” Giles replied, finally lifting his gaze from the map to the speaking woman.

“The Adriatic Sea?” Anna pursued.

As Giles confirmed her query, Van Helsing interrupted. He was itching to finish the job he had been sent to do.

“Why can’t we just storm the castle?” 

"We need to come up with a better plan than that," Giles protested loudly. "We can't just storm the castle and hope for the best. No matter how well it worked in the past for all of us."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Van Helsing replied.

“Where do we find Dracula?”

Anna pointed out the window to the large castle which overlooked the town. “That is our home, Castle Valerious. Dracula lived there four centuries ago. No one knows where he lives now.”

“There is a map of Transylvania on one of the walls of the castle. Our father would stare at that painting for hours looking for Dracula’s lair.” Velkin offered softly, his eyes glazing as he visited the place in his mind where their father had returned to them. He shook his head, dispelling the intruding fantasies. “So, that’s why you’ve come?”

“We can help you,” Buffy smiled confidently.

“Nobody can help us,” Anna bit out angrily. The enormous loss her family had already suffered playing heavily on her mind.

“We can try,” Van Helsing added his voice to that of the Slayer.

“You can die trying,” Anna snapped.

“The rest of our family has,” Velkin softened his sister’s antagonism. He knew that her fear make her tone harsh. “We can handle this ourselves.”

“So I noticed,” Spike snorted in irritation. Stupid pulsers never knew what was good for them.

“The vampires attacked in daylight,” Prince Velkin began. “They never do that. We were unprepared. It won’t happen again.”

“Why is that? Why now?” Buffy demanded.

“You ask a lot of questions,” Anna countered as she held herself with an attitude of regal dominance.

“Usually she asks only two: What are we dealing with? And how does she kill it?” Xander quipped in amusement.

Anna whirled on the disrespectful boy. “My father spent most of his life looking for answers year after year, tearing through the tower, and combing through the family archives.”

“Okay, so here’s the plan,” Buffy stood and took control of the conversation. “Giles, Mom, Willow, Cordy, Xander and Carl, you guys are research. Prince Velkin can show you the archive. Van Helsing, you and Oz are with Spike and me, our gypsy princess can play guide.” Turning to face the gypsies, Buffy confronted them directly. “The _only_ way to save your family is to stay alive till Drac’s dust. Luckily for you turning vamps into fertilizer is what we do best. Now let’s grab our stuff, and move this party up to the castle. We have a job to do.”

Without waiting for anyone, Buffy grabbed her bag and started towards the door. The rest of the group hurried after the determined blonde power house.

Once they reached the castle the group split into two. Van Helsing situated himself next to Anna who strode purposely toward the tower. He felt it as her frustration became a tangible feeling. “You can’t go out there alone. You’ll be out-manned and out-positioned. Besides you can’t see in the dark,” he offered quietly. His insight led him to believe that the independent princess might act rashly. “In the morning we will hunt him, but we will do it together.”

“Some say you’re a murderer, Mr. Van Helsing. Others say you area holy man. Which is it?” Anna gave her curiosity voice.

“A little of both, I think,” Van Helsing replied with a rueful smile. “I’m sorry for all the loss you’ve suffered.”

“I will see my family again,” Anna replied with absolute certainty. “We Transylvanians always look on the brighter side of death.”

“There’s a brighter side of death?” Buffy asked, confused.

Anna smiled back at the young girl. “It’s just harder to see.”

Buffy giggled in response.

As they reached the tower, Buffy looked around in distaste. She was already bored. “Um…why don’t you guys go ahead with the looking while Spike and I head off for a little patrol. This place gives me the wiggins.”

“Patrol?” Anna’s brow creased in confusion.

“Yeah, the Slayer and I’ll just head out and have a look see. Might be able to scare up a little demon action and find out where the master poofter parks his cape.” Spike bounced lightly on his feet, anxious to find a more physical outlet for his energy. If luck was with him he might even get a little bit of a snog in. 

Anna and Van Helsing watched the two blonds race from the room.

“Interesting companions you have there,” Anna teased as she began to search.

“You have no idea,” Van Helsing muttered as he joined her.  
~*~*~

Even in repose Dracula was covered in illusion. His body, arms crossed over his chest, appeared to be covered in ice as it lay in his coffin. As the ice seemed to melt around him, his features became more distinct – he was death personified.

With the final shattering of the illusion, the ancient vampire rose, yelling in despair “Marishka!” Screaming, he theatrically bounded lightly out of his coffin and onto the ground. Bats circled him then rose higher and higher in the cavern-like room.

His two remaining brides hung, inverted, from the rafters. Their despair clear in their features.

As he made his way, ever closer, to his mourning brides he continued to rant. “Did I not stress how important it was to be finished with Velkan and Anna Valerious before they can destroy what we are trying to create?”

“We lost Marishka,” Verona moaned in anguish.

“Master,” Aleera whimpered as if begging that he do something to ease her grief.

As they continued to weep he attempted to sooth them. “There, there, my darlings. Do not worry. I shall find another bride.”

“What?” Verona gasped.

“Do we mean so little to you?” Aleera accused with her demanded question.

“Have you no heart?” Verona beseeched.

“No! I have no heart; I feel no love!” Dracula shouted as he threw his arms wide. He leapt from them, floating with swift gracefulness to the ground as he continued. “No fear nor joy…no sorrow,” he spat, his tone belying his words. “I am hollow,” he offered in despair and breathing heavily. “And I will live forever.”

“Oh my lord,” Aleera whispered in sympathy, recognizing his words for what they were – the rout repetition of the human fools that maligned them with their simplistic evaluations of the emotional capabilities of creatures they did not understand.

“It is not so bad,” Verona offered gently.

Dracula started laughing, a hint of hysteria slipped through, clearly displaying the emotional roller coaster he was experiencing. “I am at war with the world and every living soul in it. But soon the final battle will begin. I must go and find out who our new visitors are.”

Behind the master vampire, the shadow of a chained creature loamed largely. The shadow created by the candle light behind it that showed the magnified image upon the long white curtains that separated the two areas. With the roar of the angry beast, Dracula chuckled lightly. “We will have to make a little aperitif out of them. We are much too close to success to be interrupted now.”

”No!” Verona cried out in anguish.

“The last experiment was a failure.” Aleera reminded him harshly as the two brides left their perches and flew down to join their master. “Please say you will not try again,” she begged. 

“My heart could not bear the sorrow if we failed again.” Verona echoed her sister bride’s desires.

Dracula roared at them in displeasure, his features morphing slightly. His explosive fury scared his remaining brides and they jumped back from him, cringing and crying in terror. He forced back his anger in the face of their tears and beckoned them to closer. “Come. Do not fear me. Everybody fears me.” He held them close and whispered, “not my brides.”

The chained beast roared once again, this time in a combination of pain and fury. A smaller image appeared next to that of the beast, taunting quietly while viscously twisting her breasts.

“Why do you torture her so?” Dracula asked loudly and with resigned patience. "Is it the only way you can derive your pleasures?"

“It’s what I do,” Igor answered with a nonchalant shrug as he slipped around the curtain to talk directly to his new master.

“Remember, Igor, do unto others…” Dracula began.

“Before they do unto me, master,” Igor completed confidently.

With a shout Dracula directed all his minions. “Now go. All of you. To Castle Frankenstein. We have a monster to reproduce.”

Holding his brides close to his body Dracula glided smoothly backwards.

“Yes, yes, we will try again.” Aleera agreed softly as the three passed through a dimensional doorway and disappeared. 

~*~*~

Buffy giggled as she ran down the hill towards the town, the master vampire hot on her heels.

Arms like bands of steel whipped around her waist then pulled her back to the firm comfort of his chest. “Gotcha,” Spike whispered seductively in her ear. “What’s my present, Slayer?”

Buffy turned in his arms and lifted her face to his. “You.” She lightly brushed her tongue across his mouth. “Get.” She nibbled at his soft lower lip. “To help me patrol,” she giggled as she pulled out of his embrace, grabbed his hand and urged him towards their goal.

“Cheeky minx,” Spike chuckled lightly. He was fully intent on paying her back for that one.

As they got closer to the town the sound of digging could be heard clearly. With stealth born of experience the two super-beings quietly moved closer to the sounds that echoed through the night.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Spike and Buffy shivered in the sudden rain as they watched the odd creatures dig. After a few minutes they both felt Oz's approach. Buffy turned to silently greet the werewolf, Van Helsing, and Anna while Spike kept his eye on the un-burial. They squatted next to the Slayer and the vampire.

"Dracula's minions, the Dwegers," Anna whispered as quietly as she could. They didn't want to bring their presence to the attention of the creatures. "They're definitely up to something."

The minions finished digging up the dead body. As one entity, they hauled their load off towards the apparently abandoned castle.

"We need to follow them." Anna stood up, but Van Helsing grabbed her arm.

"Hold on, Princess."

"Let go of me." Anna gave the demon hunter a cool look.

"No, he's right. We can't go off half cocked. We need a plan." Buffy turned to Oz. "Go tell the others we're going on recon. You stay there, and send Velkan out to us."

Oz nodded once before he ambled off to do Buffy's request. He glanced up at the moon that was playing peek-a-boo with the rain clouds, and he was glad that he now had control over the beast inside him.

"Aren't you worried about him?" Anna asked when the young man was out of earshot.

"Nah, Oz grew up on the Hellmouth," Buffy answered as if that would explain everything. She stepped back in disgust when the long-haired blond man she had nicknamed Riff Raff melted out of the shadows. Now that she was close to him, she could smell how nasty he was. "Bathe much?" She wrinkled her nose.

"Hold still, miss." The man stepped closer to Buffy. "I only wish to measure you. I need to make sure you are an exact fit for your coffin." He showed the blond girl his measuring tape.

Before he could stop himself, Spike let out a warning growl. Something about the villager made his demon clamor inside of him. He had found in the decades of his unlife that any mortician that took too much pleasure in his work was usually a human vampire; willing to kill and then prey on the dead to make an extra coin or two.

Buffy put a hand on Spike's arm. Her Slayer senses told her that his demon was close to the surface, and she didn't think it was time to spill the truth about Spike's entire identity. They might need that little advantage at a later time.

"Keep your eye on this one," Spike hissed in Buffy's ear. "I don't trust him."

Buffy gave the vampire a slight nod before she turned on the gravedigger. "I have no plans on dying anytime soon, Riffy."

"Death has a plan for you though," the gaunt faced man said ominously. He turned to Spike when the smaller man let out a mocking scoff.

"You'll find this Slayer a little harder to kill than the average Slayer." Spike leaned in close to the gravedigger, and he let his eyes flash yellow. "She's got friends in low places."

Buffy shivered when the rain turned to snow. She stepped closer to Spike. While she wished they were somewhere inside with a roaring fire, she knew that they now had a late night planned. Not to mention, Riffy was weirding her out big time.

The gravedigger shifted nervously under Spike's glare. He gulped, and then he turned to get away from the bleached blond man. In his haste, he tripped. His forehead came in contact with the sharp corner of a shovel stuck in a pile of dirt.

"Is he okay?" Buffy asked.

Anna checked the gravedigger's neck for a pulse. When she found a faint one, they moved the man to his cottage before Anna got the village midwife to check him out.

"What's the plan?" Velkan asked when he strode up to the group. He nodded to Spike and Van Helsing before he gave his sister a small hug.

"I think we need to follow those minions." Buffy turned to point in the direction that the creatures had gone.

"That's the way to Castle Frankenstein," Velkan said. "It should be empty. The doctor was killed about a year ago. Him and his evil creation."

"Creation?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. _Were the Frankenstein stories true?_ Not that it mattered much, Sunnydale had their very own Frankenstein. She remembered the boy who had kidnapped Cordelia to make his monster of a brother a put together bride.

"Yes, he made a creature out of dead bodies," Velkan answered. "We'll need horses."

"Have Giles and Carl come up with anything yet?" Buffy asked the Prince.

"No, but they did find a rumor that Dracula has a cure for lycanthopy very interesting," Velkan answered as he led the others towards the stables.

Buffy turned her head towards Spike. "That means a cure for being a werewolf, right?"

Spike nodded his head in the affirmative.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inside the Frankenstein castle, Igor directed one of the Dwergers to pull a giant switch that allowed the machinery to be flooded with electricity. Above him on a catwalk, Dracula paced back and forth. The minions scurried around making sure that everything was in order.

"Igor!" Dracula called out. He waited for the deformed man to acknowledge him. "How long before we're ready?"

"Soon, Master!" Igor turned to the minions. "Dwergers, bring the creature."

The chunky, alien-sounding minions raced over to the table where a pieced-together creature laid. It was the table where just a year before the original creature made by Victor Frankenstein had been formed. The biggest difference between the two monsters was the fact that this new one had a chain and cross burned into his chest instead of a vial of green fluid.

The rag-clad Dwergers from the cemetery burst into the room. They chattered amongst themselves as they dropped their cargo on the floor next to the table. It was the last of the fresh dead bodies, but if the experiment was a success then that wouldn't be a problem by morning.

Dracula smiled with an evil twinkle in his dark-brown eyes. It was time to try again. He was sure that this time everything would be a success. It had to be! He would settle for nothing less than that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**MEANWHILE IN SUNNYDALE**

Angel sat in the mansion living room. He was still quite upset about the events that had taken Buffy away from him. He was sure Faith was fine Slayer, but she wasn't the one he wanted to be with.

"Are we going on patrol?" Faith's voice bounced off the walls of the room.

"I'm not up to it tonight." Angel closed his eyes to block out the dark-haired girl. "Get one of the others to go along with you. They need the experience."

Faith gave the brooding vampire an exasperated look. She couldn't understand why he still hadn't come to accept the fact that Buffy was no longer his to worry about. It wasn't like they could be together anyway. Faith gave a little sniff before she turned to leave. Maybe it was time for a meeting with the other members of her team, sans Angel. It had become quite clear to the Slayer that Angel needed an intervention before he did something stupid.

After Faith left, Angel sat on his couch for awhile thinking about his situation. With a burst of energy, he rose to his feet. He just needed to get out of Sunnydale. Somebody, somewhere had to know where Buffy was, and he had all the time in the world to find that person.

Angel went to his bedroom where he threw his clothes and other possessions into a duffle bag. He grabbed his car keys off the bedside table, went outside, and tossed the bag in the back seat of the convertible. 

"Always running from your responsibilities, aren't you, Angelus?"

"You!" Angel whirled around to confront the person behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sent by the leader of the Order of the Light." The man pulled his tattered hat down to cover his forehead.

"Who the hell is the leader of the Order of the Light?" Angel growled. He advanced on the man, but the sudden appearance of a crossbow stopped him in his tracks.

"Somebody who wants you to do what the Powers That Be have commanded of you."

"I'm going to find Buffy, and nothing you can do or say will change my mind." Angel turned back to the car, and he got behind the wheel. As he gunned the motor and drove away, he decided to be crude. So, he flipped his visitor the bird.

The man shook his head as he let out a puff of air. He lowered the crossbow. "Buffy's gonna be pissed." He thought for a moment about the young girl he had met so long ago in Transylvania. That little girl had no clue as to what he was doing at this very moment. It was the future version of herself that had sent him to try and reason with the bull-headed broody vampire. She had always hoped that they could keep Angel from destroying himself.

Angel sped towards the edge of town. His first stop would be in Los Angeles, he decided. He had heard about a demon that could tell a person's destiny just by singing. Angel's face smashed into the steering wheel when the car came to a sudden stop. He grunted in pain when his nose broke upon contact.

"Buffy is no longer your concern."

Angel looked over at the being in the seat next to him. He put his hand over his bloody nose while he glared. "You're not Darla, and I NEED to find Buffy."

"No, it's time for you to protect the Slayer," Darla said with a roll of her baby-blue eyes. "The Slayer is Faith. If you leave her, she could die."

"That's what happens to Slayers," Angel replied. He dug a handkerchief out of his pocket, and he pressed it against his face.

"Oh brother." Darla rolled her eyes again. "Well, that's a great attitude to have, Angelus. That's exactly how Buffy became the leader of the Order of the Light. You let her die."

"What?" Angel barked. He remembered his other visitor's words that the leader of the Order of the Light had sent him. If that was Buffy, why would she not want him to find her? She knew they were meant for each other.

"The Order has dealt with the consequences of your actions in the best way possible. They are immortal and timeless. They keep the balance. You will do what is needed of you, without interfering." Darla picked her nails in boredom. "If you don't want to be the Slayer's protector, just tell us. We'll find another."

"I don't want to be Faith's protector," Angel stated. "I'm Buffy's."

"No, you're not. We keep telling you that. Clean out the ear wax." Darla got a far away look in her eyes. "Okay, we've sent Faith a new protector. He needed a mission and purpose too, chief. You can go anywhere you want, Angelus. Just don't try to find Buffy." She disappeared from the car.

"Whatever," Angel muttered. "Maybe now I can find that destiny reading demon." He shifted the car into drive, and he left Sunnydale for what he thought was the last time.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Buffy and Spike were the first to reach the castle and dismount. Anna, Velkan and Van Helsing followed at their heels.

As soon as their horses were secured, the group focused on the castle before them.

“It was abandoned a year ago,” Anna whispered, biting her lip in consternation.

Velkan mirrored his sister’s confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“What exactly did the guy who lived here do?” Buffy asked.

“He was a grave robber among other things.” Velkin curled up his lip in distaste.

“Grave robber, huh?” Spike asked speculatively as he cast a knowing glance at Buffy.

“Kinda like the creepy miniature minions we’ve been following?” Buffy’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Do not underestimate them. The Dwerger are extremely vicious,” Velkan warned. “If you get the chance to kill one, do it because they’ll do worse to you.”

“Not seeing the problem there!” Buffy quipped lightly and shared a knowing grin with her blond companion. "Only good evil minion is a dead evil minion."

“A year ago?” Van Helsing clarified. “It was just after that your father went missing?”

Anna nodded in agreement. “Yes. He was looking for Dracula. He was on his way to the sea.” Her features were etched with longing as she gazed off into the distance. “I’ve never been to the sea…I’ll bet it’s beautiful.”

Although she had gained everyone’s attention, it was Van Helsing’s eyes she gazed into as he smiled with compassionate understanding.

~*~*~

As lightning flashed, Igor looked up in concern. He was not entirely sure that he was up to the task that his master required of him. He had only assisted Doctor Frankenstein, and the good doctor had kept much of his knowledge to himself. He was under no illusions that his new master might be more forgiving than his former employer had been. In fact, he was fairly certain that his new master had wiped the word ‘forgiveness’ from his vocabulary entirely.

Dracula surveyed the room as he paced the underside of the upper walkway. “Let us begin!” he yelled.

One of the Dwerger threw a switch and the pace of the machine increased. Several of his brother minions pulled on the ropes attached to the board their new creation was strapped to, allowing the creature to be lifted higher and higher into place.

“No slacking up,” Igor demanded fearfully. He needed this to work. Power that could be filtered through their patchwork creation would then be used to fulfill the needs of his master. So much was relying on the success of their experiment, and their ability to recreate Frankenstein’s achievement.

~*~*~

“Okay, seriously, isn’t that unhygienic or something?”

The rest of the group looked up at the sight which held Buffy’s gaze. Suspended from the ceiling were a multitude of slimy green sacks.

“What do you think they are?” Anna whispered.

“Offspring,” Spike answered flatly.

“Huh?” Buffy’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“A man with three gorgeous women for four hundred years…” Van Helsing mused, not particularly put off by the vision before him.

Velkan gave the sacks a considered look. “Yes, vampires are the walking dead. It only makes sense their children are born dead.”

“Skanky ho’s,” Buffy muttered belligerently. She’d seen the way that Jeanie wannabe had looked at her vampire. Those bitches were so going down!

Van Helsing reached up to investigate one of the slim cables that laced the room, connecting to each of the sacks. “He’s obviously trying to bring them to life.” 

“And we’re upping the ew factor!” Buffy shivered.

With a cheeky grin, Van Helsing stretched out his arm. “Ladies first.”

“You’re not as funny as you think you are,” Buffy crinkled up her nose in displeasure. 

Anne stared him down with a steely glare.

Van Helsing rolled his eyes when both Velkan and Spike chuckled quietly but, never the less, moved out first.

In single file the group moved deeper into the room, gently pushing the sacks out of their way as they went.

“Dracula and his brides only kill one or two people a month. If he brings all these things to life…” Van Helsing left the rest of his sentence unfinished, opening them all up to the imagery the thought evoked.

~*~*~

High in the open tower above the laboratory, lightning stuck the inert body of the manufactured creature.

“Throw the switches!” Dracula yelled excitedly.

“Yes, master,” Igor replied.

The beast shook wildly as the electricity surged through him, and his heart began to beat. Connecting cables sent the pulsations towards the waiting offspring.

~*~*~

As the electricity crackled through the sacks Velkan pulled his sister behind him. The pods began to throb, and the group watched with dawning horror.

Moving closer to one, Spike jumped when the remaining static electricity gave him a small shock.

Anna jumped back in response and was also shocked by the sack behind her.

Van Helsing pulled off his glove.

“What are you doing?” Buffy hissed with displeasure when he reached for one of the pulsating pods.

“I want to see what we’re up against,” Van Helsing replied as he proceeded to rip open the sack before him.

A thick green substance slopped out of the torn opening, and Buffy ‘ew’ed in disgust.

With all eyes focused on what the demon hunter was doing, no one noticed the sack behind Anna that began to open on its own.

“So this is what you get when vampires mate,” Van Helsing stated clinically, allowing them all to see the demonic child.

“Please tell me you don’t want kids, slayer,” Spike whispered to Buffy, but his disgust came through loud and clear.

Buffy’s eyes slightly glazed over. He was talking about their children…possible children…and the not having of them, which would kinda suggest he was mega serious about them – wouldn’t it? "These are from two vampires, Spike. I'm the Slayer, remember." She whispered low enough for only him to hear. She squeezed his hand in reassurance, even though she felt scared herself. The little butterflies in her stomach went into a frenzy of movement and she felt a little light headed. He really needed to stop saying swoon worthy things while they on the job.

Van Helsing reached forward to touch the baby vampire’s head, and the child of Dracula woke. The tall brunette quickly retracted his hand as the child snapped and snarled at the intruders.

~*~*~

Lightning bolt after lightning bolt continued to assault the creature, and Dracula watched eagerly as Igor threw yet another switch to send another pulse of power towards the children.

Sacks burst all around the small band of warriors, and the vampire children took to the air on their small but powerful wings.

Van Helsing grabbed Anna’s hand. “Come on,” he urged forcefully.

Taking his advice, the group ran.

More sacks split open with large splashes of erupting green globs, and the children charged around the room in flight. Higher and higher they flew. Above them, Dracula and his two remaining brides stepped out onto the balcony and watched as their offspring rose to join them. 

Verona reached over to one of her children as the small beast alighted on the balcony rail. Her joy radiated from her.

“They need to feed. Teach them how. Teach them.” Dracula blissfully ordered.

~*~*~

“Boss,” the barman called for the Host’s attention. “We’ve had eight customer’s leave and three Sluggoth demons just committed suicide by the pool table. How much longer is this guy gonna…um…sing?”

Lorne smiled weakly, his features a little greener than usual. “You think he sounds bad? You should see what I’m seeing.”

“That bad?”

“Oh, pumpkin! Bad doesn’t even come close.”

Not for the first time, Lorne wondered why he had ever left Pylea, his home dimension. As much as he loved music he often longed for the simpler times when he wasn’t subjected to the empathic harmonics that so often overshadowed the beauty of the song. Then again, he really never wanted to be stuck in a place without music again. So, he really had to learn to suck it up. 

Lorne remembered the explosion of joy he’d felt when he’d first arrived in his present dimension. He’d never heard anything like it before. The magical sounds had intrigued and enthralled him. The first time he actually witnessed somebody sing he had been shocked to discover his gift. Because of it he’d managed to make a good living over the years from the two things he loved most – music and helping others. However, when helping meant that he not only had to listen to somebody butcher his beloved music, but also had to inform the individual of a truly horrible future if they continued on the path they were on, his need to assist became slightly muted.

Lorne sighed deeply as the large brunette vampire finally finished his ode to all things Manilow; the worst was yet to come.

~*~*~

“I’m sorry Faith. That’s all they gave me,” Doyle apologized for his lack of information. “All I know for sure is that Angel’s decided to follow his pipe dreams, and you’ve got a new protector on the way.”

Faith shrugged, unconcerned. “It’s five by five, dude. It’s not like the vamp actually helped that much in the first place. We’re gonna need someone a little more focused if we’re gonna stop the mayor.”

~*~*~

“So, can you tell me where Buffy is?” Angel asked eagerly as he joined the Host at his table. He couldn’t believe that he’d had to sing, but at least they’d had some decent music to sing to. He had a really good feeling about this. He wasn’t at all daunted by the task ahead of him. He knew finding his beautiful girl was not going to be easy, but he was a champion. Giving up was not in his vocabulary.

Lorne grimaced sympathetically. “Sorry, Angelcakes, that’s not how it works. I only get the stuff that relates to the path you’re meant to be on.”

“And that’s with Buffy,” Angel offered happily.

“Hon, I don’t know who this Buffy is, but I have to tell you that if you keep on the path you’re on now you’re in for a world of hurt. Nobody messes with the Order of Light.” 

“But that’s who the Powers said Buffy was leading. The Order of Light. I need to find them so I can take my place as Buffy’s protector.”

Lorne’s eyes widened comically. This was just going from bad to worse. There was no way he was going to be the one to tell Angelus of Aurelius that ‘his’ girl already had a vampire protector. Soul or no soul, the vampire had some anger control issues that the Empath demon was not planning on experiencing. A kernel of an idea came to him.

“Well, then it’s simple, possum. All you need to do is a little research on the Order. That should tell you everything you need to know,” Lorne suggested hopefully, absolutely comfortable with being called a coward.

Angel thanked the Empath demon and headed back out to his car. He needed to head back to Sunnydale so he could access Giles’ books.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Buffy stared at the small flying creatures with horror. This was bad; bad with a capital B. This made Angelus and his pet rock look like small potatoes. She pulled out her sword, and she was pleased when she heard Spike pull out his too. As they ran, Buffy hissed at Velkan, "Figure out how they're powering these things, and get it shut down!"

Velkan nodded his head at the small blond woman before he grabbed his sister's hand. The two gypsies were on their way in a matter of seconds.

Van Helsing swung his shotgun skywards, and he started to shoot the vampire children. He gave Dracula a cool look, before he shouted out, "Now that I have your attention."

Dracula growled in anger. True, Van Helsing had only killed a few out of hundreds, but to the vampire, each child was as important at the next. He let his wings burst forth, and he flew up into the air with the plan to confront the human. Dracula became even angrier when he saw the two blonds with Van Helsing cutting down even more of the baby vampires with their swords. He flew towards them, careful not to touch the electricity that his minions were still using to juice the birth pods. He veered off towards Van Helsing, who had tried to escape through the giant doors into a hallway. 

Van Helsing almost made his escape, but the doors swung closed, shutting down that route for him. He flung himself to the side, and he hid. He watched as Dracula floated gracefully to the ground.

Dracula started to clap slowly while he ventured to say, "I can tell the character of a man... or woman ... by the sound of their heartbeat. Usually when I approach I can almost dance to the beat. Strange that all of yours are so steady."

Buffy gave the vampire a small smirk and a shrug. "What can I say? Living on a Hellmouth gives a girl perspective."

"Ah, a Slayer. How wonderful," Dracula cooed. "It's been a very long time since I've had the company of a Slayer. I will get to you in a bit, m'dear. Right now I wish to speak to Gabriel."

Van Helsing stepped out of the darkness, and he plunged his silver stake into Dracula's chest. He stepped back, crossed himself in faith, and gave a small prayer in Latin.

"Ah, there you are, Gabriel," Dracula replied. He grimaced just a bit before he pulled the stake out of his chest. "My, my, how long has it been? Three, four hundred years." The vampire chuckled at the vampire hunter's confused expression. "You don't remember."

"Exactly what should I be remembering?" Van Helsing asked.

Spike grabbed Buffy's arm, and he dragged her away from the other two males. He growled deep in his chest. Spike had suspicions before of who Van Helsing really was, but now he was sure of it. No ordinary human lived for as long as Dracula claimed that Van Helsing had lived. Beyond that, the living vampire didn't want _HIS_ Slayer anywhere near either Dracula or Van Helsing.

Dracula ignored the two blonds while addressed Van Helsing directly, "You are the _great_ Van Helsing. Trained by monks and mullahs from Tibet to Istanbul. Protected by Rome herself, but like me, hunted by all others."

"Well, the Knights of the Holy order knows all about you." Van Helsing shrugged. "It's no surprise that you know all about me. Besides, it's obvious, I'm not hunted _by all._ Otherwise why would the Order of the Light's leader and her best warrior be standing by my side."

Dracula shrugged in disdain. "But Gabriel, we have such a history, you and I. Have you not wondered why you have such horrible nightmares of horrific scenes of ancient battles past?"

"Maybe it's Slayer dreams," Buffy called out helpfully. She whacked Spike's shoulder when he hushed her with a hand over her mouth.

"How do you know me?" Van Helsing asked, ignoring Buffy's quip.

"So would you like me to refresh your memory? Give you a few details of the sordid past?" Dracula looked skyward. "No, maybe that's for another time. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Count Vladislaus Dracula. Born 1422... murdered 1462..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Velkan and Anna ran up the staircase, and together the burst into the next room. Inside, they found Igor yelling at the Dwergers.

"Yes, yes. Accelerate the generator. We're losing power. The human creature is insufficient," Igor commanded the other minions while they ran around throwing switches and pushing buttons.

Anna silently pointed upwards. Above them, they could see the outline of a lone humanoid creature writhing in pain as the lightening from the massive storm kept hitting his body.

"We must not lose the Master's progeny," Igor yelled, even though he knew it was a losing battle. He turned just in time to see the two gypsies run up the stairs towards the top of the tower. He waved at the Dwerger to follow them, in the hopes of slowing the two warriors down. Not that it would matter anyway, the creature would be destroyed by the time they reached the top anyway.

Velkan cleared the path for his sister by throwing the smaller creatures over the edge of the stairs. It only took them a few minutes to reach the apex of the tower. Together they moved towards the humanoid that was strapped down to the metal gurney. When Anna recognized the cross seared into the creature's skin, she screamed in anger.

"No, no, Papa." Anna threw herself across the creature's chest. "Dracula and all that follow him will die. If it's the last thing I do, they will pay for this!"

"Anna, watch out," Velkan yelled when another bolt of lightening hit a little too close for his comfort. "You knew this was a possibility when Father disappeared. Stay strong. I need you."

"I know." Anna stood, and she wiped a tear from her face. "Let's get the body away from the energy. It's the only way to stop the creatures." She waved her brother to the other side of what was left of their father's body, and together they unstrapped him. They could come back for him later, but for now they needed to get back to the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carl reread the passage in the book he was looking through. This was much harder than he thought it would be, even with the help of Rupert Giles. The others had trudged off to bed after Oz's return and the Prince's departure. However, Carl felt that things needed to be resolved sooner rather than later, and he resolved to himself to keep working on finding some tidbit of information to help defeat Dracula.

The sound of wings rushing by the window made the friar pause in his reading. He found the noise so odd that he felt the need to go take a look. When he saw the flying creatures descend on the town, he muttered to himself, "That's not good. Must warn someone. Better wake up the others." The red-haired man hurried off to wake up Giles.

Outside the villagers had also heard the rustling noise of the flying vampire babies. They came out of their homes, businesses, and the pub to look up at the sky. One of the women realized what was happening when she saw the adult vampires winging their way down upon the town. "Get the children to safety," she screamed. She ran across the square towards her own house.

The undertaker had recovered from his encounter with Van Helsing and the others. He was hurrying across the center of town, trying to get home, when Verona pulled him from the ground. They rose high above the buildings, and she tossed him to the baby vampires. "Feed, my darlings," she cooed. "Feed and be strong."

The Scoobies raced out of the inn, and they attempted to help the villagers. Willow immediately started to cast a bright sunshine spell while the others protected her.

"Help me!" a woman's voice begged.

Carl looked up to where a lovely young woman was holding on to the inn's sign as she tried to keep the baby vampire from pulling her up into the air. He put his hand up impatiently while he looked around for something to hit the creature with. He grabbed a nearby bucket, and he threw it at the vampire. The hit was dead on, making the baby lose it's hold on the woman. Carl caught her when she fell from the sudden loosening.

"Gotcha," Carl said softly. They both let out a scream when the baby vampire flew towards them with an angry snarl spilling forth from its mouth.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Carl cringed in horror as the miniature reject from a nightmare flew at him and the young woman he had just saved. 

As the beast closed in it suddenly exploded.

Carl looked around in shock as more and more of the demon spawn imploded, saturating the ground with their gelatinous green blood.

The two brides flew closer to their children then gasped in horror at the sight before them. Their screams of anguish rent the air as they watched the demise of their beloved offspring.  
Wailing for their loss, Aleera and Verona turned in the air and sped back to their groom.

~*~*~  
Dracula spun at the anguished cries of his brides, and Van Helsing made good use of the opportunity, running to Buffy and Spike. A manual elevator was their only escape, and all three tumbled inside in their haste. As they fell, Spike used his sword to cut the weighted rope that held them in place. With nothing to hold them the counter weights plummeted to the ground allowing the lift to speed to the top of the tower.

~*~*~

Anna ran alongside her brother and directly into the arms of Van Helsing as he stepped from the elevator.

“I think we’ve overstayed our welcome,” Van Helsing quipped. 

“Come on people. We so need to be somewhere else.” Buffy pushed past the embracing pair, her eyes alert for attack and a way out.

“Slayer,” Spike called. “Over here.” Reaching into the deep pockets of his duster, the day walker pulled out a ‘Carl Special’ – A gas propelled hand held grappling hook. Taking careful aim, he shot true, over the ravine to wedge the hook firmly in a tree on the other side. He secured his end of the rope. From his other pocket he pulled out five grips and passed them around before hooking his own in place. “I’ll be there to catch you, pet.” Spike winked at Buffy then turned, grabbed hold of the grip, jumped off the tower and effortlessly slid across the ravine.

“Stupid vamp could’ve at least given me a kiss for luck,” Buffy grumbled quietly to herself as she waited for her turn.

“I heard that, Slayer,” Spike’s voice floated on the wind…taunting her.

~*~*~

The village woman that Carl had saved looked askance to her savior. “What happened?”

“They just died,” Carl responded absently as he gazed around, still not convinced the danger was gone. It had been much too close.

The woman threw her arms around the neck of the startled friar, hugged him then kissed his cheek. “How can I ever repay you?” she gushed.

“Oh!” Carl blinked vacantly as a wicked thought crossed his mind.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock when the holy man leaned in to whisper his suggestion; she looked him up and down, shocked. “But, you can’t do that! You are a monk.”

“Well, actually I’m just a friar.”

She smiled secretively, as only a woman can.

~*~*~

As the brides cried, lost within their agony of loss, Igor faced Dracula. “I am sorry, Master, we try and we try but I fear we are not as smart as Doctor Frankenstein.”

“Truly,” Dracula agreed despondently. “It would appear the good doctor took the key to life to his grave.” 

The dark vampire’s disappointment needed a focal point; soothing or someone to direct his ire at. Furiously he turned to his miniature minions. “Hunt them down. Kill them all.”

~*~*~

Anna shook her head in disbelief as she listened to Van Helsing’s tale. “A silver stake? A crucifix? What? Did you think we hadn’t tried everything before?” she snapped as she stomped through the woods. “We’ve shot him, stabbed him, clubbed him, sprayed him with holy water, staked him through the heart and still he lives. Do you understand? No one knows how to kill Dracula.” 

“Okay, seriously, tone down the attitude,” the Slayer ordered. “It’s not like he’s fought vamps before but he, at least, has killed one. How many have you killed? Had that been any other vampire, he would have been successful.” Turning to Spike, Buffy directed her next question at him. “Why didn’t it work?”

“Gypsy magic, luv. The ponce is the master of mojo.”

“Then let’s get back to Giles. He’ll know what to do.” Buffy turned on her heel, Spike swiftly taking his place by her side. The others silently followed the clear leader of the group.

The five kept close as they made their way through the ruins of an old windmill. As they passed over the base of the structure, the damaged boards gave way.

The silence of the night was filled with screams of surprise as the five fell.

The silence returned.

~*~*~

Carl jerked awake from his nightmare, the word ‘vampires’ whispering over his trembling lips. He abruptly rose from his bed on the couch as the last visages of his dream slipped away. A noise behind him caused him to turn back towards the makeshift bed. The woman from the village lay slumbering beside where he had been. He smiled. “Now I remember,” he whispered fondly as he leaned against an ornamental wood carving jutting out from the wall. 

Unexpectedly, the feature shifted under his weight. Its hidden mechanism activated allowing a wall panel to pivot like a revolving door.

The friar stepped closer, studying the picture that had been revealed. 

The beautiful artwork depicted two knights in the midst of a duel. An inscription accompanied the   
picture and Carl read the words out loud.

“Even a man who is pure in heart  
And says his prayers by night  
May become a wolf  
When the wolfbane blooms  
And the moon is shining bright  
Or crave another’s blood  
When the sun goes down  
And his body takes to flight.”

As the last of the words are whispered the picture came to life. Carl watched in awe as the warriors battled. In an instant the picture changed; one knight becoming a wolf the second a vampire. The innocent friar jumped back in horror as the supernatural beasts attacked each other viciously.

This was something he needed to show Giles immediately. He didn’t question how he knew it, but he was sure without doubt that he’d stumbled onto something of vital importance.

~*~*~

MEANWHILE IN SUNNYDALE

Angel entered the silent library confidently. He had deliberately chosen to make his visit in the middle of the night. He wasn't at all interested in discussing his mission with the second class team that had replaced his Buffy.

He worked quietly, searching the stacks and then the more volatile tomes that were kept in the cage. Any book that even mentioned The Order of Light in passing was put aside to be studied.

The dark vampire worked with tireless obsession and was fastidious in his investigation. Reams of notes were created, and lists of new books to study were made. Every lead would be investigated and every hint explored. 

Angel thought he'd finally figured it out. It was a test. To prove himself worthy of Buffy he had to find her. It all made sense to him finally. If he was truly meant to be the Slayer’s protector. then they wouldn’t have been able to replace him so easily. He was the only vampire with a soul in existence. He was special. You couldn’t replace special with ordinary. It just couldn’t be done. So, if he had been ‘replaced’ it was because the job had never been his in the first place. His mission was and always had been, Buffy.

Angel grabbed a large duffle bag that had clearly been housed to hold Faith’s work out gear and a change of clothes. He dumped the contents on the floor of the cage, positive that the dark slayer wouldn’t mind him using her bag. Clearly his mission was more important than Faith’s need to put her clothes into something. She would just have to understand. He carefully placed all his research into the purloined bag before making his way out of the library and back to the mansion. 

Angel had decided to use the large abode as his base of operations and had already started that particular ball rolling. He had decided that, for once, he would make use of the massive amounts of funds Angelus had squirreled away over the years. He had arranged through his lawyers to have the Crawford Street address magically cleaned and repaired. They had also arranged for a decorator to furnish it for him. The library had been completely refurbished. All he would need to do when he got back was send the list of books his research had uncovered to the lawyer’s office, and they would procure them for him. Angel could sit back, in the comfort of his own home, and immerse himself in the search for Buffy. 

The dark haired vampire smiled softly when he imagined her delight in the changes to his home. He knew she would be happy there with him. They didn’t need a physical relationship. Their love transcended the needs of the flesh.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Anna moaned muted pain, and she wondered where she was laying. It certainly wasn't her soft bed that took up a large part of her bedroom at home. She realized that she was covered with a leather coat that smelled like the vampire hunter, Van Helsing. Anna could hear Spike and Buffy quietly talking to each other, but even louder she could hear her brother and Van Helsing hissing at each other. She rubbed her forehead while she tried to make each conversations make sense.

"You know, you _did_ accept this whole destiny thing pretty quickly," Buffy said. "I fully expected a lot of wigging out from you. The rest of us have been doing the whole good guy gig for awhile now. We were without all the extra knowledge having though."

"When you lot touched me, it felt right. It felt like we were family." Spike shrugged. "That's all I've ever wanted since ... my mother ... died." There was no way he was ready to share that secret with the Slayer. "It made me want to be more, to make a difference in the world besides death, destruction, and the pursuit of Happy Meals on legs."

This made Anna wonder what 'Happy Meals' were before she switched her attention to Velkan and Van Helsing.

"It's Frankenstein's monster!" Velkan growled. "It must be destroyed."

"Look, I know evil. I can sense evil," Van Helsing protested vehemently. "My life... my job... is to vanquish evil. This man? Evil may have created him, left its mark on him, but evil doesn't rule him."

"Him has picked out a name for himself," Buffy called out. "By the way, Prince Velkan..." The Slayer's voice turned as cold as steel. "Lazarus Frankenstein belongs to the Order of the Light. To destroy him, you must go through us!"

"You will protect me from Dracula?"

Anna squinted at the shadows where the question had come from. She gasped when the creature leaned forward. He was like nothing she had ever seen before. Anna realized that Lazarus -- she was sure the creature was who Buffy was talking about -- stood at least eight or nine feet tall, weighed in over 300lbs, had blue tinged skin, and an exposed brain charged with electricity.

"That's the whole point!" Buffy answered Lazarus' question.

"If Dracula gets me, you and all your kind are doomed." Lazarus pulled his coat and shirt open to expose the round vial of green liquid lodged in his chest. "I'm the key to my father's machine. The key to life... life for Dracula's children."

"He's already awakened them last night," Van Helsing exclaimed.

Lazarus gave a wary chuckle at the vampire hunter's words. "Those were from one single birthing. They died just as they did all the times before. Only with me can he give them lasting life."

"Let me take a gander at that." Spike sidled towards Lazarus.

"There are more of those things?" Van Helsing blurted out. He was suddenly worried. He knew that there was no way human life could survive if both of Dracula's remaining brides produced multiple births.

"Thousands. Thousands more," Lazarus replied while he watched Spike approach him and tap on the vial.

"I think I know this stuff." Spike tilted his head in thought. "There's a legend about a demon whose blood will turn a vampire human again."

"Drac's not trying for humans, Spike." Buffy noticed then that Anna was awake, and the Slayer went to help the gypsy to her feet. Together the women threw Van Helsing his jacket.

"No need to state the obvious, luv."

The bleached blond man was interrupted by a rustling sound. The group turned just in time to see a minion of Dracula's leap upwards towards the light.

"It's seen us." Anna pulled her gun, and she aimed, but the Dwerger was already gone. "They'll be coming for Lazarus." She felt odd calling the creature by that name, but she wanted to keep Buffy's ire away. Something told the gypsy princess that the younger girl was fiercely protective of those she considered to be hers.

"If we can get him to Rome, we can protect him there." Van Helsing grabbed his battered hat, and he jammed it on his head. "Let's find a way out of here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Then the picture came to life." Carl waved his hands in the air. "The two creatures attacked each other."

"What does it mean?" Van Helsing asked. The two men crossed the snow-covered courtyard towards a black and silver carriage.

"I don't know." Carl shrugged. "Giles and Oz are still studying it. They're pretty sure that they'll figure it out."

"Great!" Van Helsing muttered. Not that he didn't have great confidence in the Order members, he just wanted some forewarning of what was going to happen next. Not to mention, he'd been uneasy ever since Spike had given him a sniff and an odd look. Van Helsing had to wonder why the other man, who was not the most charming member of their little group, was now avoiding him more than usual. He glanced over to where Spike was busy talking to Buffy.

"He's not that person," Buffy hissed while she tried to keep their talk private. Having Van Helsing overhear and misunderstand some future event was not something she needed right now.

"He shagged Darla _and_ Dru at the same bloody time," Spike hissed in return.

"Yeah, and what stupid ass scheme did he keep the four of you out of?" Buffy gave Spike a tight-lipped stare. "Would it have killed you?"

"Possibly," Spike admitted reluctantly. _Most likely._ However, he'd never admit that to the Slayer. It was just that even after a century the incident still bothered the William part of his psyche.

"Then, as the leader of the Order, I order you to tell him everything for the good of the future." Buffy gave the command with a raised eyebrow. "As your girlfriend, I say tell him everything because I refuse to be deprived of my destined smoochies."

"You're my girlfriend?" Spike asked in a dazed voice.

"Of course." Buffy nodded with confidence. "I don't let just anyone court me." She gave the living vampire a kiss on the cheek, and she flounced off towards one of the extra carriages.

"Nothing's faster than Transylvanian horses, not even werewolves," Anna told Van Helsing as he climbed aboard a carriage.

Van Helsing gave the Princess a brief smile. He watched as she ran across the courtyard to the carriage that the Slayer had climbed aboard just minutes before. A third carriage and set of horses stood in the shadows ready to follow the first two decoys away from the village. This third coach, not only was it cloaked, but one of its passengers was cloaked too. Van Helsing decided that working with a witch was probably a good thing. His carriage was basically empty, but Willow had done a spell to make it seem like Lazarus was inside. The second carriage, with Anna and Buffy, was given a partially, weaker spell. Van Helsing hoped everything worked out the way it was supposed to. The vampire hunter clicked the reins on the way to his grand exit to catch the eye of any of Dracula's minions in the area. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_1943, A SECLUDED BEACH ON LONG ISLAND_

Lawson pulled himself from the cold Atlantic seawater. By his estimation this whole mission should have been scrapped from the get-go. Everything that could go wrong had. He had never known that vampires were real, and now he was one!

Lawson laid on the sand, exhausted from the swim and lack of nourishment. He stiffened when a man spoke from nearby.

"Didn't think you were ever gonna show up, Lawson. What took you so bloody long? My counterpart passed through about an hour ago."

"Who's there?" Lawson squinted into the gloom. He could clearly make out one human and one... something, with his enhanced vision. Maybe being a vamp wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Spike, that's enough." The woman's voice sound kind.

"Sorry, mum." Spike sounded contrite. "Could you make Red's little ball of light work? I hate life changin' conversations in the dark."

Lawson blinked when a bright light suddenly appeared. As his eyes adjusted he found himself looking at an older, sandy-blond haired woman and a very different vampire than the one thrown into the drink with him. Lawson blinked in surprise. He knew he didn't know much about the supernatural world, but he found it odd that he could hear Spike's heartbeat and feel his demon.

"Joyce, I'd like you to meet Sam Lawson." Spike gave a little bow and hand flourish. "Lawson, this is Joyce Summers-Giles."

"Ma'am." Lawson nodded politely. His mother's lessons still governed his manners.

"We've got a mission for you," Spike blurted out.

"Spike!" Joyce slapped the vampire's shoulder. "We were supposed to ease him into this."

"Sorry, mum." Spike gave the woman a contrite look. "I just wanna get back to Buffy. She's a little too close to labor for me to be away."

"I know." Joyce patted Spike's shoulder. "Now, Sam. We're representatives from the Order of the Light. You have a very important purpose in the future."

"Yeah, the great poofter out there on the sub deserted his post." Spike shrugged his shoulders. He'd had a long time to get use to the past... future... um, whatever it was. "Well, he will desert his post in just over fifty years. You're needed to take it over. Think you can handle it?"

"A purpose?" Lawson tilted his head while he contemplated the other vampire's words. Then he realized something. "You're not the same as you were before, are you? Besides the heartbeat?"

Spike shook his head with a smirk. "Not really. Have a good woman, huge family, and great friends. You could have the same thing if you come with us."

Lawson thought about how Angel had thrown him away. He knew he couldn't go back to his old life, and he knew he didn't want to be alone in his new life. Lawson was about to nod when Spike grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"Right then. Enough broodin' time." Spike dragged Lawson over to Joyce's side. "I've been away from m'girl long enough. Let's rock and roll."

"Huh?" Lawson grunted.

"Spike!" Joyce couldn't help but chuckle at Spike's eagerness to get back to Buffy.

"He's already decided to come with us," Spike protested. "I could see it in his eyes."

"He's right, Ma'am," Lawson agreed. "I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be." Joyce patted the vampire's shoulder as she healed his inner turmoil.

The portal opened with a bright whoosh. Joyce stepped through first, followed by Spike and Lawson. On the other side, Lawson found himself in a large stone room with weapon covered walls. There were three men lounging in wait.

Spike stepped forward to make the introductions. Even though the men knew Lawson, he didn't know them. "Lawson, I'd like you to meet Lazarus Frankenstein, Friar Carl Kenyon, and Xander Harris. They're gonna teach you how to fight."

"I was in the military." Lawson kept his eyes on the big, bluish skinned creature. The Prince of Darkness back on the sub was uglier but infinitely less intimidating. "I know how to fight."

"Yeah, but can you fight dirty?" Spike chuckled. "There's blood in the cooler over there. After your first lesson, someone will show you to your quarters."

Lawson nodded as he wondered what kind of twists and turns his life would take from here on out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUNNYDALE, THE MAGIC BOX

"So, when's the new vamp supposed to be here?" Amy asked. She plopped down in a chair. The gang had been moving into the local magic shop all day. The deed for the business had been put in Wesley's name by the Order.

"Tonight," Faith answered. "I found out his name is Sam Lawson. Angel turned him in the 1940's on a sub."

"After Angel had the soul?" Wesley asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Apparently." Faith shrugged. Then, she went on alert, and the group knew she had felt a vampire nearby.

The front door opened, the bell rang merrily, and a good-looking, dark haired man stepped inside. He was shorter than Angel with the same lean build as Spike. He gave the group a hesitant smile. 

Faith's eyes widened at the sight of the handsome manliness that had just entered the store. _Hmm, maybe B wasn't the only Slayer that boinks vamps,_ Faith thought to herself. "Sam Lawson," she drawled huskily. "Right on time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel looked up at the portal that opened in the mansion living room. A grin stole across his face when Buffy stepped out, but it dimmed when he realized that she was pregnant. Very pregnant. He glanced at her face. She looked very pregnant and very ticked off.

"Angel, if you don't stop this nonsense, I'm sending you back to Hell for an extended vacation!" The Slayer's angry voice echoed off the room's walls


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The solitary carriage sped through the sparsely leaf covered forest. Van Helsing urged the horses to quicken their pace further, convinced that he was being observed.

Inside the safety of the cloaked carriage, Willow, Oz and Carl listened to Lazarus’ mournfully negative opinion of their chances of success. He bemoaned the danger his presence caused. He cautioned them all, lest they be found in his company.

“Did you miss the whole cloaked part of the exercise?” Willow asked in amusement.

“And when we leave the coach?” Lazarus challenged forlornly.

“You’ll still be incognito guy,” the little redhead assured him.

“You bespelled me also?” he clarified in surprise.

“Well, yeah. I mean, I don’t know if you looked in the mirror lately, but you kind of stick out in a crowd.” Willow shared a grin with Oz, and they both patted the astounded creature on a shoulder. They didn’t think it would take him long to fit in, but it would be fun watching him realize he was no longer alone.

The Transylvanian born horses effortlessly pulled the carriage along the snow covered paths through the Carpathian Mountains in their journey towards Budapest. 

Van Helsing slowed his team of steeds as the last part of the first leg of his journey, the arrival in the ancient city, came closer to an end. His senses were on high alert.

As the mist seemed to rise and thicken around him, Van Helsing tied the reigns to his seat and lifted his crossbow in preparation. From his blind side, Verona swooped in to grab him with her taloned feet. As she lifted him from his seat, in an attempt to carry him away, he grabbed hold of the lowest edge of her wing and viciously tugged on it, restricting her movements. She screeched as the thin membrane tore, causing her to drop her prey.

The agile demon hunter landed easily on the back of one of the front horses. The vision before him made his heart miss a beat. The bridge he had been expecting to cross was missing its entire middle section. Acting on instincts he twisted swiftly and leapt to the next horse, ever closer to the driverless carriage.

Just as he reached his goal and proceeded to pull himself up, Aleera appeared and knocked him back to the horses before flying higher to join her sister bride. Together they noticed the damaged bridge and screamed in anguished frustration.

The horses leapt, pulling the carriage behind them and throwing Van Helsing in the air before he, once again, found himself on horseback. The violence of the carriage’s landing tore its wooden harness mount from its main body which tipped backwards and slipped into the dark abyss.

Verona screamed to her sister, “We must not let the creature be destroyed!” 

Without hesitation both brides flew swiftly after the doomed carriage. They caught onto it but the damaged wing Verona sustained thanks to the demon hunter would not allow her to maintain the weight of their burden.

In desperation, Aleera tore the door from its hinges only to snarl in fury at the sight of the empty vehicle.

Van Helsing grinned as a second carriage pulled up beside him, and he jumped from his horse to join Buffy and the two gypsies. He scrambled over the top of the carriage to take his place beside Velkan at the rear. At the last second, the two men saw the incoming bride and threw themselves to either side of the coach, catching the railing and hanging on for dear life. At the sound of the twin screams from the two women, Velkan and Van Helsing renewed their struggles to find purchase for their feet. They needed to get back on top of the coach. Their desperation served them well.

“Where are they?” Velkan whispered in horror when they finally reached their goal.

~*~*~

Spike looked up expectantly as the sound of the approaching carriage reached his ears. As it got close enough for him to see, he was surprised to find that they had clearly switched drivers. Velkan and Van Helsing were in seated where Anna and Buffy were supposed to have been. He frowned in concern, fearing that one or both of the girls may have been hurt and let out his senses to locate his girl.

In a flash he had leapt from his own seat, over the horses and had Van Helsing’s shirtfront gripped firmly in his hand. “Where is she?” he snarled as his eyes flashing dangerously.

“Spike!” Willow yelled, momentarily gaining his attention and further directing it towards the human form of the laughing vampiress, Aleera.

Oz and Velkan whipped their crossbows out and leveled them at the grinning redhead as Spike tensed himself to spring at her.

Aleera grinned evilly, swinging her index finger from side to side in the universal sigh for ‘no’. “So much trouble to my master, so much trouble,” she stated mockingly.

“What do you want?” Van Helsing demanded; his voice low and threatening.

“The master commands a trade. The monster for the Princess and the Slayer,” she stated smugly.

“One bloody hair on her head and your final death will give pain a new name, bitch.” Spike growled; his yellow demon’s eyes holding her in place.

Aleera shivered slightly, suddenly fearful but unwilling to show it.

“Someplace public, lots of people, a place where your master will be less inclined to expose his other side,” Van Helsing offered firmly.

“Tomorrow night is All Hallows’ Eve. Here in Budapest there is a wonderful masquerade ball.” With her final word, Aleera took flight. Her laughter floated back to them all.

Spike looked hard at the two men. “The bitch is not the only one who’ll suffer if anything happens to my slayer,” he snapped out his thinly veiled threat.

~*~*~ 

“So what have you been doing since you were turned, dude?” Faith felt compelled to ask the newest member of her team.

Lawson shrugged shyly. He’d never been in the company of such a sensual woman before. He felt slightly intimidated. “The Order of Light recruited me as a fledgling. I’ve been with them since then learning how to fight and help with research. I’ve known this was going to be my mission since the start.”

“I believe it would be prudent to keep that information to ourselves.” Wesley suggested quietly. “Given Angel’s obsession with Buffy, there is no telling what he might attempt in order to gain access to the information you have, Mr. Lawson.”

The brunette vampire grinned. “I think Buffy had something in mind about that, Sir. And please, call me Sam.”

~*~*~

“I…I don’t understand,” Angel felt like he was floundering for some solid ground during an earthquake. He couldn’t seem to make his mind understand what his eyes were seeing.

“You’re not meant to,” Buffy snapped crossly. “This is your last chance, Angel. Stop trying to find us. I actually had to send my husband off on another mission just so I could come here. But if you don’t back off, I’m done protecting you. I’m not kidding when I tell you my mate will take great joy in beating you to a pulp before opening a portal to hell and dumping your sorry ass through it.”

“Husband?...Mate?” Angel repeated in a daze.

Before Buffy could answer him the golden coin she wore as a medallion, around her neck, began to glow and a disembodied voice emanated from it. “Buffy, get your cute arse back here.”

Buffy cringed. _‘If he’s calling my ass cute, he can’t be all that pissed,’_ she thought ruefully.

“Buffy, was that…”

“NOW! SLAYER!”

Buffy ‘eeped’ and quickly opened the portal and slipped through.

“…Spike?” Angel finished his question to an empty room.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Nice place you have here," Van Helsing commented to Willow. He was a little surprised by the opulence of the Order's Budapest residence.

The red haired witch shrugged while she watched Spike pace around the foyer. "Just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Oh, and keep him on the plan. Spike tends to be a bit impulsive at times, especially when it comes to Buffy."

Oz chuckled from his spot beside Willow. He had already heard about how anxious Spike had been to fight Buffy. He was glad that the Dingos had been away on a gig on that fateful Parent/Teacher night the year before. This made the werewolf think about is band mates for a few moments. Oz didn't regret following his destiny, but he hoped Devon and the others could find a replacement for him.

"You'll be okay here?" Van Helsing asked. "Can just the two of you and the Prince really protect Lazarus?"

"Sure thing." Willow nodded confidently. "Oz is stronger than he looks. We won't have any problems."

"I think we need my tranq gun," Oz said in an amused voice as he watched Spike become more agitated.

'He'll settle down once we have Buffy back," Willow said. She was a bit surprised at how fast the two blonds had fallen for each other. "Just hope he doesn't go all grrr-face on anybody."

"Grr-face?" Van Helsing raised an elegant eyebrow. "Is there something I should know?"

"Spike is part of the Order, and you _will not_ over react!" Willow gave Van Helsing her best resolve face. "Spike, it's time."

Spike gave Willow a small sneer. The Order had been told by the PTB that Spike and Oz's supernatural identities were to be a secret at first. None of them had wanted their newest comrades to freak out or bloodshed to occur. Spike slowly let his demon shift forward.

Van Helsing gave a yelp, and he stepped back. He hadn't expected that. He certainly hadn't felt anything evil emanating from Spike. He turned towards Willow. "How long has he been like that?"

Willow gave the question some thought. "Uh, he's been all vampy since before I met him." She glanced at Oz for a moment. "That was about a year ago."

"Don't worry at it, Red." Spike gave Van Helsing the once over and a grin. "Old Gabe and I go way back."

"I've never met you before in my life." Van Helsing hesitated for a moment. "I think."

"Yet." Spike let his human guise slide back into place. "Give it a few years."

Van Helsing, Willow, and Oz stared at Spike in astonishment.

Spike sighed. He knew he had to tell Van Helsing everything or Buffy would be right brassed. However, he didn't really want to go into the whole sordid affair at the moment. Some things were still a bit embarrassing even after a century. "Let's just say in a few years, you'll be preventin' me from doin' something really stupid."

"What did you guys do?" Willow asked. She knew whatever it was must of involved other members of the Scourge of Europe. Possibly even Angel.

"We didn't do anything," Spike protested. "We were prevented by this git." He pointed at Van Helsing. "He held Angelus and me prisoner while he shagged our women."

Willow wrinkled her nose in disgust. "At the same time?" 

"Yes!" Spike grumbled. "It's not like he can be killed or anything."

Carl rushed into the room. He was dressed as a court jester. "We only have thirty minutes before we have to leave. Aren't you two dressed yet?" he asked Van Helsing and Spike.

Spike huffed. He didn't know why he had to change his clothes. A black mask to go with his duster, and he'd be fine. Spike pointed at Van Helsing. "Buffy says I have to tell you everything. We'll speak later without the audience." He turned to go find his room, and then he turned back to speak one more time. "After that, we'll never discuss it again!"

Van Helsing watched in amusement as the living vampire disappeared up the staircase. "Likes to make grand exits, doesn't he?"

Willow giggled. "Spike's better at entrances."

Van Helsing went to find his own room and costume. He had much to think about while he changed. Spike's revelations made the immortal man question his future. He was attracted to Princess Anna. She was everything he wanted in a woman. Opinionated. Strong. Beautiful. He might not have all of his memories, but Van Helsing knew he wasn't the type of man to cheat on his woman. Did that mean she died in the next few years, or maybe that they just didn't have the connection he thought they did?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The classical music swelled, and the masquerade ball started. Dracula held Anna Valerious close to his body, and he could see the dazed look on her mask-covered face. He covered the Princess' lips in a cold, sensual kiss.

Anna gave a little squeal that earned her a small cold smile, and a deep dip over the Count's arm. She gave another squeal.

"How does it feel to be a puppet on my string?" Dracula jerked Anna's body back into the upright position.

"Where's Buffy?" Anna demanded. Her pretty face showed how revolted she was to be so close to the Count.

"Somewhere safe. I promise." Dracula smirked.

"I won't let you trade me for Lazarus," Anna promised.

Above the dancers, Van Helsing, Spike, and Carl arrived at the ball. 

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered. "This is not good. Not good at all."

"Why?" Carl whispered.

"The only heartbeats in the entire building are Anna, hunter boy here, and you," Spike growled in anger. "The rest of them are vamps."

"Buffy's not here?" Carl asked suddenly, as if a thought had just occurred to him. "That's not good."

"First things first, we need to rescue Anna," Van Helsing said. "Then, we'll find Buffy."

Below the rescuers, Anna muttered in disgust, "You make my skin crawl."

Dracula spun Anna around, and he seductively whispered into her neck, "That is not all I could do to your to your skin. Just a little bit of pain, and we could spend eternity together."

Above the dancers, the rescuers were making plans. Spike would distract Dracula while Van Helsing and Carl grabbed the Princess. Watching the trapeze artists fly across the huge ballroom gave Van Helsing an idea. He grabbed one of the acrobats, easily dusted the creature, and took the vampire's place. He swung out across the room, easily switching places with the other acrobat on the other bar.

Spike jumped up on the railing, and he paced back and forth on the ledge. He called out over the music, "Hey Drac, long time, no see."

The Count turned away from Anna, his attention no longer on the dark-haired woman in red. With a flick from his hand the music died. "Do I know you?"

"Well, you do owe me eleven quid, mate," Spike said coolly. "Not to mention... you took my woman." The last word ended in a growl.

"I have no..." Dracula tilted his head for a moment. "Oh, William, I didn't recognize you without your family. Where are the ever delightful Darla and Drusilla?"

Spike shrugged while he gave a careless flick of his hand. "Off causing havoc, I'm sure." His eyes shot towards Van Helsing just in time to see the other man fall from the trapeze, catch another rope, and swing towards the balcony where Spike was standing. The demon hunter grabbed the Princess on his way past her. Spike gave the Count a feral grin as Van Helsing and Anna landed beside him. "Now tell me, where is Buffy?"

"I don't think I shall tell you," Dracula replied. "I need a new bride, and she'll be perfect."

Spike snarled in anger. He was ready to take the other vampire apart limb by limb for even suggesting such a thing. Just then, Carl rushed up to the group, and he distracted Spike.

"Now I know what it's for." The friar held up the ball of magma and alkaline in his hand.

"Toss it down there." Van Helsing pointed at the dance floor before he grabbed Anna's arm. "Come on, Princess."

"Where are we going?" Anna asked, finally coming out of her daze. She looked around for a quick exit, but she didn't see one.

"Through that window." Van Helsing dragged the unresisting gypsy towards the stained glass window.

Spike grabbed the sphere from Carl, threw it in the direction of the vampires, and pulled the friar towards the window.

Dracula saw an object falling towards the dance floor. He had a sudden bad feeling about things. So, he hurriedly transformed, and he flew upwards towards one of the rooms many skylights. Dracula broke through the glass. Just as he cleared the building, a great, bright light flashed through his entire summer palace. The Count knew that most of his vampiric brethren had perished.

In the cold water of the moat, Van Helsing helped Anna towards the shore. Over his shoulder, he shouted, "Carl, you're a genius."

"A genius with access to unstable chemicals." Carl still couldn't believe how successful his creation had been.

When they crawled out of the water, they found Willow and Oz waiting for them with warmed blankets. 

"Giles called." Willow tapped the side of her head. "He thinks he found something. We need to get back." She noticed that Buffy wasn't with the others, but she didn't say anything that might incite Spike's ire for the time being. There was time for snarly, possessive vamp tendencies later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel sputtered to himself, "W-w-why would Buffy be with Spike? I'm her champion."

"Maybe because you're beneath me," Buffy's quiet voice answered.

Angel whirled around to find Buffy -- looking exactly as she had when she had died at the hands of the Master -- standing in the middle of the room.

"You were convenient," Buffy continued. "Someone to pass the time with while I waited for my real love."

"No, don't say that," Angel pleaded. "We love each other, Buffy."

Buffy chuckled. "Your cursed soul loves me, but what about Angelus? Maybe we should ask him how he really feels about me?"

Angel stared in astonishment as Buffy slowly morphed into his 'alter ego'.

"The Slayer's just a hole to be filled," Angelus drawled with a snicker. "She's such a pathetic little fuck. Not like our Dru, huh?"

"That's not what I think at all!" Angel protested.

"It isn't?" Angelus gave Angel a sardonic smirk. "Hmmm, liar, liar, pants on fire."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Anna stumbled slightly as she returned to the castle she called home. Had she not experienced it herself she would never have believed that a witch would have the power required to transport their entire group from Budapest. It did beg the question as too why they hadn’t traveled that way the first time. But the question seemed inconsequential in the face of Buffy’s disappearance.

“They must have taken her to Dracula’s lair.” The Gypsy Princess suggested.

In a wave of frustrated fury, Spike picked up the nearest object and threw it at the wall to shatter. 

Carl’s eyes widened in shock as he watched the extremely heavy desk fly past him.

Joyce moved swiftly to Spike’s side, laying her comforting touch on his arm. “Honey, we’ll find her,” she assured.

“We’ve been looking for him for almost four hundred years,” Anna snapped with ire. Who really were these people that they felt they could so easily defeat the vampire her family had tried to destroy for centuries?

“Yes, well, I wasn’t around for those four hundred years, was I?” Giles snapped back, his tone conveying his own concerns for the daughter of his heart.

Spike focused his expectant gaze on the man that had become his father. “Alright, Watcher, what have you learned?”

Giles moved swiftly to a portrait and began his recitation. “Count Dracula was actually the son of Valerious, the Elder.” He turned to face the gypsy siblings. “The son of your ancestor.”

“Every one knows that,” Anna spoke with impatience.

Spike glared at the girl before returning his gaze to Giles. “What else?”

Moving to the next piece of evidence, Giles continued. “According to this rubbing, this situation began when Dracula was murdered.”

“Do you know who murdered him?” Van Helsing asked flatly.

“No. There is just some vague reference to ‘the Left Hand of God’.” Giles replied, his gaze drifting to Spike.

“Oi! Don’t try and pin that one on me, Rupes. I’m the ‘Left Hand’ of the Slayer,” Spike snarked, easing the tension in the room.

Moving swiftly to the next item, Giles picked up a parchment and showed them all the picture it displayed. “In 1464, when Dracula died,” Giles began then folded the picture, showing them all a new image. “He made a covenant with the Devil.”

“And was given new life,” Van Helsing gasped as he interpreted the picture.

“But the only way he could sustain that life was by drinking the blood of others,” Anna continued Van Helsing’s interpretation.

“Excuse me. Are you going to allow me to finish?” Giles asked peevishly.

“Bloody hurry up,” Spike snarled as Anna and Van Helsing apologized for their interruption.

“Your ancestor,” Giles continued, pointing to the two gypsies. “Having sired this evil creature, went to Rome to seek forgiveness. That was when the bargain was made. He was to kill Dracula in return for the eternal salvation of his entire family.

“But he couldn’t do it.” Anna commented softly.

“As evil as Dracula was, my ancestor couldn’t kill his own son.” Velkan added sadly.

“No, he couldn’t. However, he did banish him to an icy fortress. He sent him through a door from which there was no return.” Giles offered the only comfort he could.

“And then the Devil gave him wings.” Anna sighed deeply, feeling guilty through her familial connection. 

“Yes – it was beginning of the Bat Clan.” Giles smiled sadly at the distressed girl.

“Alright, then, where’s this bloody door?” Spike asked sharply, bringing them all back to the focus of the conversation.

Giles closed his eyes in frustration. “I don’t know.” He looked to the gypsies and quickly continued before Spike could respond…loudly. “However, when your ancestor couldn’t kill his son, he left clues so that future generations might do it for him.”

“That must be what father was looking for in here,” Anna excitedly responded, looking around the room as if the clue they needed might jump right out at her. “Clues to the door’s location.”

“Um, guys?” Xander called from his position near a huge wall map. “Didn’t you say that your dad spent hours staring at this painting, trying to find Drac’s lair?” At Anna’s and Velkan’s confused nods, he continued. “Well, what if he was right? What if _this_ is the door? What if he just didn’t know how to open it?”

Carl pointed to the side of the painting. “Look – a Latin inscription.” 

“Perhaps it works like the painting in the tower? Good work, Xander.”

“If this were the door, my father would have opened it long ago,” Velkan argued.

“I can’t finish the inscription. There’s a piece missing,” Carl announced.

A memory returned and Van Helsing hurriedly searched the deep pockets of his coat, retrieving the piece of parchment he had received from the Cardinal. “Your father didn’t have this.”

“Where did you get that,” Anna demanded querulously.

“Who bloody cares! Finish it, Friar Tuck. I got me a slayer to reclaim.” Spike stepped closer to the painting and bounced on his toes in anticipation.

Carl quietly read the Latin words and Van Helsing looked at the map they suspected of being a door reciting the translation that he remembered. “In the name of God, open this door.”

As they watched the map faded away, a mirror replacing it.

“A Mirror?” Carl wondered at the sight.

“Dracula has no reflection in a mirror,” Anna mused.

“Maybe, to Dracula, it’s not a mirror at all,” Willow suggested.

With synchronized movement, Spike and Van Helsing reached out to touch the surface. As their fingers passed through the place where the surface should have been the surrounding area turned to ice. Their fingers continued to pass through the tar like resistance. 

“Ha!” Van Helsing laughed as he pulled his hand back. “It’s cold. And it’s snowing.”

“Order of Light – prepare.” Giles ordered sharply.

Xander picked up Spike’s pack and threw it to him as the rest of the warriors grabbed their own.

“Let’s see what’s on the other side,” Spike ordered before stepping through, not waiting for the others. Joyce’s ‘be careful, dear’ followed his form.

Van Helsing, Velkan, Anna, Willow and Oz followed the impatient Protector of The Order of the Light. The rest of the group stood sentinel and began their vigil of waiting.

Through the portal, as one, the group stared up at imposing sight before them.

“Castle Dracula,” Anna whispered, in awe.

“You know, if Xander was here he’d be all ‘Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore’!” Willow said with a snicker.

“Don’t call me ‘Toto’, Red,” Spike joked, much to the little witch’s surprise, moving off in the direction of the castle entrance…and Buffy.

“Do we have a plan?” Velkan demanded as the group caught up to Spike.

“We’re going to stop Dracula,” Van Helsing announced.

“And kill anything that gets in our way,” Spike snarled.

“And we get through these doors, how?” Anna snapped, looking at the apparent insurmountable task before them. The huge double doors looked like they had been made for a giant.

Spike looked over at the bitching gypsy before turning his gaze to Willow. “Red?”

Willow grinned before lifting her hands and blasting the doors from their hinges. “Um…Oops?”

“I’m sure they didn’t notice,” Oz offered, the edges of his lips turning up slightly.

Before them a long corridor with large burning torched down the center stretched out. Above them, thousands of offspring sacks dangled – waiting for the proverbial breath of life.

Willow stared up in horror. “So…are all of those…?”

“Yes,” Anna answered, gently shuddering in remembered horror.

“And inside them are…?” Willow continued to question.

“Yes,” Velkan responded quietly.

“Gross!” Willow said with a shudder of her own.

“Igor do this! Igor do that!” The head minion muttered belligerently before noticing the group of intruders. “How did you find…it’s impossible!” With a horrified look he turned swiftly away, attempting to escape.

Before Igor could move more than a few steps, Spike had him by the throat and slammed against the nearest wall.

“Please, don’t kill me,” the terrified minion begged.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Spike snarled in reply.

“Well I…” Igor looked lost; he hadn’t really expected to have to give a reason for wanting to live.

“Where is she?” The incensed blond demanded.

A roar of displeasure reverberated around them and Igor smiled smugly. “My master is awake. She is with him in the tower. She will make him a fine new bride.”

Spike’s eyes flickered yellow as his demon roared to be released. “You master is soon to be dust,” he growled through tightly clenched teeth.

“By you?” Igor snickered in disbelief. “It is not possible.”

“Never stopped me before,” Spike replied coldly.

Igor looked past him to the window and smiled at the sight of the pregnant fullness of the moon. “The master can only be killed by the wolf,” he mocked.

Spike smiled in feral delight in return, yellow bleeding into blue. “That works out nicely then, doesn’t it, wanker.”

With no warning, Spike snapped the minion’s neck. “Now…let’s go get my woman.”

~*~*~

Angel pulled himself more tightly into a ball; anything to keep the unrelenting visions from assaulting him further. Accusation after accusation reverberated through his mind. Victims of Angelus that wouldn’t listen to him when he tried to explain that it wasn’t him. That he was Angel. That he had a soul. They didn’t care. They didn’t believe there was any difference. They all blamed him. They wept and screamed at him then allowed themselves to be replaced with Buffy or Darla or Dru or even his father. All of them saying the same things. He was responsible. He was a monster. He didn’t deserve redemption.

The world would be better without him in it.

But the worst was when Spike came. When the bleached blond laughed at him, telling him…things…awful things. Words like ‘mate’ and ‘claim’ were mentioned.

Words that Buffy, when she came, didn’t deny.

“Please,” he whispered desperately, begging to anyone that would listen. “Make them stop.”


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Spike and Van Helsing were in the point positions with Anna and Willow behind them. Oz and Velkan took up the rear, careful not to let any of the Dwerger sneak up on them. Not that the short minions were much trouble for the Order members and their allies.

Spike reached out with his senses to isolate the Slayer's signature. It had always been like that for him with this particular girl. Spike had never questioned his ability to pick her out of a crowd. He had always figured it was part of his hunting skills, but now he wondered if it had been Fate's way of warning him of his future feelings.

The group stopped momentarily in a room with rounded walls. Mirrors covered the walls, and when Willow stepped closer, she was sure she could see Sunnydale on the other side. "Come look at this," she called out as she touched the surface of the mirror. "It's Sunnydale. See, there's Faith. Who's that hunky guy?"

Spike peered over the witch's shoulder. He was sure he knew the guy, and when he remembered he snapped his fingers. "Lawson. One of Angel's."

"Oh." Willow frowned.

"Odd. Aren't these like the mirror that brought us here?" Velkan asked. "So, why can't we get through?"

"There's something written up there on the stone," Anna replied. She pointed to some words chiseled above the door. 

"'He who controls the castle, controls the portals'," Willow recited. "Or at least I think so. Giles has been giving me a crash course on Latin, but it's not my forté."

"Let's head out. We'll come back for another looksee after we rescue Buffy." Spike swept out of the room. He didn't even look back to see if the others followed him.

The warriors took up their positions again. As they moved toward the tower where Spike knew the Slayer was being held prisoner, a group of Dwerger tried to ambush them. It was obvious that Dracula's minions didn't expect the determination of Spike, Van Helsing, and Willow. Spike and Van Helsing were both armed with Carl's gas-propelled crossbows while Willow conjured fire balls from the torches that lit the hallways.

Finally, the Order reached the tower doors where Willow blasted them out of the way.

"Gabriel," Dracula called out. "Here to rescue the maiden fair, I see. Too bad you're too late." The vampire stepped out of the shadows with a thralled Buffy standing in front of him.

"Hey, Buffy." Willow gave Dracula a smirk. "Why don't you show old ugly why the 'thrall' has gone out of your relationship?"

Buffy broke into a grin. "Took you guys long enough. I wasn't sure how much longer I could play docile Buffy." She head butted Dracula's nose with the back of her head. "Take that. If I'm gonna be a vamp bride, my groom's gonna be Spike."

"Aleera. Verona. To me!" Dracula held his broken nose in his hands.

Dracula's two remaining brides flew into the room, screeching their displeasure. They transformed into their human guises as they landed, and the Order's group could tell that the bride Verona had been seriously hurt by the stakes in the decoy carriage. Verona had attempted to save her sister bride from the stakes and the explosion. Thus, she had taken the brunt of the onslaught herself.

The Dwerger minions poured into the room behind the Order. Spike took one look at them, and directed Willow to make the door impassable to anyone outside the room. Then, Van Helsing and the Prince started to methodically dispatch the Dwerger.

"Oz, it's time," the bleached blond vampire said quietly. "It's up to you to kill Drac."

Aleera and Verona laughed with glee. Neither bride thought that the short red-haired man was much of a threat. Then, they noticed that Anna and Buffy had turned hardened glares on them. The four women launched themselves at each other. Buffy took on the less injured bride herself, leaving the weaker one for Anna.

"Ha, this one cannot harm me," Dracula boasted. He stepped back in sudden horror as Oz started to morph.

Oz allowed his werewolf to emerge. Even as hair sprouted from his bones elongated, he felt in complete control. He gave Dracula a feral grin filled with sharp canine teeth.

Willow looked around while she decided who to help first. Van Helsing and Velkan had the minions under control. They were down to one each now. Spike and Oz were stalking Dracula around the room, taunting the Romanian vampire. Willow glanced over at Buffy fighting against the brides.

Anna punched Verona in the face before she plunged a silver stake into the vampiress' heart. She coolly watched as the bride screamed as she dusted. It seemed that the curse on her family was finally about to be over, and Anna wasn't sure how she felt about it. What would Velkan and she do with their lives now that they were free?

Van Helsing and Velkan killed the last two minions. After seeing that the others had Dracula and the brides under control, they moved to the doorway, not only to guard the entrance, but to kill any stray Dwerger. Without Igor to direct them, the short creatures were quite disorganized. Also, while they both realized that Oz was a werewolf, they both knew that mid battle wasn't the time to bring the subject up.

"Dracula must be quite unhappy," Velkan whispered to Van Helsing. "Usually, he has control over werewolves."

Van Helsing gave Velkan a surprised glance before he returned his attention to where Spike was still taunting Dracula.

"So the great Bat is vulnerable to wolves. Wonder if that includes those of from the Wolf clan." Spike smirked as he let his game face slide forward. He darted in to slice Dracula's face with his claw. "Guess so. Dogboy and I have the advantage."

Oz growled as he advanced on the ancient vampire. The werewolf watched Dracula's movements until he could anticipate his prey's actions. When Dracula went to change into his real face, Oz leaped on him.

The battle was fierce, but surprisingly short when Spike joined in. The two Order members methodically blocked all of Dracula's punches and attempts to escape until they were able to take the killing blow. The werewolf ripped the vampire's head from his body, while Spike burrowed into the chest cavity for the undead heart.

Oz sat back on his haunches as Count Vladislaus Dracula Valerious' body disintegrated into dust. He gave Spike a wolfie grin before he bound across the room to lick and nuzzle Willow's neck.

Aleera screamed in pain when her Sire dusted. She could feel the molecules in her body start to follow suit. The last bride of Dracula grimaced at the triumphant look on the Slayer's face. It was so unfair. Everything had been almost perfect before Van Helsing, the Slayer, and the others had shown up. Aleera screamed again when Buffy helped her already dusting body along with a stake to her heart.

Buffy stood back, and she dusted her hands off. She turned to grin at her friends, her allies, and her vampire.

"Now that was fun!" Spike grabbed Buffy, and he swung her around in a circle. "You sure know how to throw a party, Slayer."

"Oooo." Buffy giggled. "Dizzy now."

"So, post fight party?" Willow asked. She had her hand buried in Oz's fur as he sat next to her.

"Kinda hard to find the pineapple pizza here." Buffy looked around. "Where ever here is. Not a bad place with a few throw pillows and some nice flowers."

"Oh, good idea." Willow grinned. She wiggled her fingers, and the clouds in the sky disappeared, letting the moonlight shine through the window.

Spike looked back and forth between the two women. "We're takin' over Drac's castle, aren't we?" He waited for the Slayer to confirm his suspicions. "Good. The wanker died without paying me my eleven quid."

"You!" Buffy slapped Spike's shoulder. "Willow, why don't you and Oz get the others. I think there's some exploring to do."

"Right. I bet Giles will love that room of mirrors." Willow turned to leave taking Oz with her.

Van Helsing went to Anna. He took off his hat while he stared at her sheepishly. He didn't even notice when Spike and Buffy herded the Prince out of the room.

"Thank-you," Anna said with a blush. "You and your friends have saved generations of my family from purgatory."

"It was nothing." Van Helsing dropped his hat, licked his suddenly dry lips, and stepped closer to the Princess. "I'm going to kiss you now."

Anna gasped when Van Helsing's hot mouth covered her own. Her eyes fluttered shut when his hands gripped her hips to pull her close, and her own hands fluttered up his chest to bury themselves in his hair.

On the tower stairs, Spike and Buffy were locked in the same position. Velkan finally gave up trying to be nonchalant, and he went to greet the others as they came through the mirror.

Xander was the last Order member to step through the portal. He looked up at the gigantic castle, and in a dazed voice, he muttered, "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"See?" Willow said to Oz. "I told you he'd say that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel stood at the top of Kingman's Bluff overlooking Sunnydale. He knew the sun would rise within thirty minutes, thus ending his pathetic existence.

"You always were so melodramatic." Darla's voice broke through Angel's gloom.

"What are you doing here?" Angel grumbled. He just wanted to be left alone to end his life.

"You know, if you had accepted what the Powers deemed to be your destiny, you wouldn't be feeling like this." Darla came to stand by Angel.

"I love Buffy. We would have been happy together."

Darla shook her head. "No, you would have eventually left her."

"I would never!" Angel protested.

"Buffy never needed a leader, Angel. She needed someone who would back her, no matter what the odds." Darla sighed. "Do you really think William would have let her face the Master alone?"

"The prophecy said she was to die. I only did what I thought was right."

"She did die, and she would have stayed that way if her little friend hadn't prodded you like he did." Darla gave Angel a sad look.

"But it's with Spike!" Angel protested.

"It would have been William no matter what, Angel." Darla glanced over at the dark-haired vampire. "I've seen how life would have played out if Buffy and her friends hadn't been called to their destiny. It wasn't pretty, but she ended up with William."

"No. That's unacceptable!" Angel clenched his fists, anger momentarily overwhelmed the gloom.

"You are so stubborn," Darla growled. "Three timelines, one conclusion. Buffy belongs with Spike."

"Three?" Angel's anger dissipated as quickly as it rose.

"Yes, the current Order of the Light timeline, the one we interrupted, and the timeline that would have been if Buffy had renounced the Order and became normal." Darla chuckled huskily. "I do admit with the last one, their evil rivaled ours, but they were together."

"I don't know what to say." Angel finally let himself believe that Buffy was beyond his reach. Now he felt even more like seeing the sun rise.

"You are not allowed to dust yourself," Darla said. Then, she disappeared.

Angel glanced up at the cloudy sky. As he trudged off towards the mansion, a light dusting of snow covered Sunnydale.


	15. Chapter 15

Epilogue

“Buffy,” Giles called loudly to the diminutive leader of their group and motioned for her to join him.

Buffy smiled softly at the blond that held her in his firm embrace and gently stroked his cheek before making her way to the side of the man she still considered her watcher. “What’s up, Giles?”

Giles continued to examine the small indentation in the stone wall before him. “May I have the large coin, dear?”

The tiny blonde shrugged lightly and reached into her pocket, pulling out the large gold coin that the Powers had gifted her with. They had said at the time that it differed from the medallions they all wore and the smaller identification coins she held in her purse. Silently handing the requested object to Giles, she watched as he carefully placed it within the studied recess. It fit perfectly.

As soon as Giles clicked the talisman in place, it began to glow. Its soft golden light built and surrounded them all, misting out until the entire hidden dimension was tinged with its color.

Before the group’s watchful gaze their surroundings changed. The ancient stone work shone, gleaming with the light. Around them objects transformed. Frankenstein’s laboratory equipment morphed into soft sofas and modern or futuristic modes of entertainment. The snow melted and flowers bloomed, while the sun replaced the moon. Warmth infused them all.

As the golden mist slowly withdrew, returning to the circular symbol of The Order of the Light, the words above the portals in the room of mirrors glowed brightly. The words now showed that they were translated to English and altered before the golden hue dissipated completely.

_DOMUS. Sanctuary to The Order of the Light._

“DOMUS!” Spike spluttered indignantly. “How bloody unoriginal is that? What was wrong with my suggestion, Slayer?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “We are _not_ calling our home ‘William the Bloody’s Palace of Pain’!” 

The remaining group snickered at the bickering blondes as they followed them into the newly opulent comfort of the soon to be dubbed ‘family room’ of Castle DOMUS.

~*~*~

“What is it?” Anna asked quietly, her curiosity piqued.

Willow carefully considered the woman in front of her, unsure as to how much she should say. Carefully, she formulated her response. “In a little under ten years you are going to need that. It’s a very powerful curse. I can’t tell you too much, ‘cause it’ll disrupt the time line. What I can tell you is that events will happen that will make you want to kill a specific vampire. He’s not like Dracula, and trust me when I say your hatred of him will be all consuming. You can’t dust him. You have to curse him. In all honesty the curse will be far more vengeance filled than just staking him. It’s specifically set up to give him a soul, and that would be a soul that kinda dwells on guilt being his primary emotion.”

“Curses can be broken,” Anna replied flatly.

“Trust me when I say that the Order will ensure that this particular vampire mostly keeps his soul. He will lose it briefly. I know this because it happened in my original timeline, and because it’s in my past it has to happen. I personally, re-cursed the broody fish murderer. So, you don’t have to worry about that, and we’ll be keeping an eye on him to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“What does he do?” the Gypsy Princess whispered, dread infusing her being.

“I can’t tell you.” Willow hugged the brunette, showing her regret.

Anna studied the parchment in her hands and sighed deeply before nodding her acquiescence. “It will be done.”

~*~*~

“You guys just rock!” Faith squealed with excitement. She couldn’t believe how well the team had worked together. Amy, Doyle and Wesley had distracted the minions while she and Lawson had snatched the box. She had to admit that she should probably give a little credit to the demon that had sold – maybe sold was too strong a word since he’d actually been convinced to part with the books rather than die at the hands of a slayer – the books of ascension to the group. Without those books, they would never have known that capturing the box with the creepy little bugs in it, and then destroying said box, would be enough to completely derail the mayor’s plan. A small furrow crossed her brow as she realized that they were really only half done. “Have you worked out how to destroy the box, Wes?”

“Actually, no,” Wesley admitted. “The books just say it needs to be destroyed, but it gives no mention of how exactly that goal might be achieved.”

“Giles is meant to be the Father of Knowledge for The Order, couldn’t we ask him?” Lawson guilelessly suggested.

“Excellent idea,” the watcher smirked at the innocent vampire. “However, researching how to contact him may take more time than we have on hand.”

Lawson grinned and reached into his pocket for something too small for the rest of the group to recognize. “Not necessarily.”

The coin warmed in his hand as the brunette vampire concentrated on it just like he had been taught to do.

With no warning a portal opened and Giles and Willow stepped through grinning.

“Hi, guys,” Willow offered with a giggle at the shocked expressions on the faces of most of the Sunnydale group.

Within the space of ten minutes the groups greeted, the situation was explained and solved, and Willow and Giles offered their good-byes with the promise that they would always be available to help whenever they were needed. The two members of the Order of the light returned through another portal taking the mayor’s now magically bound box with them. 

Faith didn’t really want to have to take them up on their offer, but she was comforted by the knowledge that the option was available. She had a great team now, but there was no harm in having back up in a pinch.

~*~*~ .

Spike cast an irritated glance at the man across the room from him. He knew that Van Helsing was going to remain a part of their team, but he couldn’t help feeling relieved that the demon hunter wasn’t actually going to be staying in their private dimension. The daywalker’s relationship with his family was too new. The lines hadn’t been defined yet. They’d gone straight from receiving their calling to their first mission. They needed to settle into their new home and learn to be a family. _‘No! It’s more than that,’_ he thought, shaking his head slightly. The rest of the group was already a family. Spike needed to find where he fit in to that dynamic. He needed to find his place, and he really didn’t want Van Helsing being there while that happened. It didn’t matter to Spike that technically, given the ‘time and space means nothing’ part of the core group’s immortality, Van Helsing’s actions in Spike’s past were probably agreed upon by the blond vampire in the first place. The fact was that at the time he hadn’t known that, and Spike’s memory of Van Helsing’s actions still got to him. He would probably forgive the ponce one day – in the very distant future – but that day wasn’t today. Spike wanted him gone.

~*~*~

Angel carelessly threw his duffle bag into the back seat of his convertible. As far as he was concerned, if neither slayer was his responsiblity anymore, then maybe there was something else he should be doing. There had to be something out there for him to do since the Powers didn't want to him to be dust yet.

With stoic determination, the large vampire with the cursed soul got behind the wheel. He had no idea what his path was supposed to be, and knew of only one individual who might be able to tell him.

Heart breaking, as he briefly allowed the image of his one true love to fleetingly flash through his mind, Angel started the car and once again headed for Los Angeles. _‘One good thing,’_ he thought, attempting to cheer himself up. _‘I get to sing more Manilow.’_

~*~*~

Somewhere in Los Angeles a singing Pylean glimpsed his own reflection in the mirror. He whimpered in misery while wondering if now would be a good time to take that holiday he’d promised himself.

~*~*~

Buffy’s feet sank into the soft sand that was part of the new look that the hidden dimension had transformed into when The Order of the Light had taken over control of it. Gone were the towering cliffs, foreboding landscape, and freezing temperatures. In their place DOMUS sparkled like a crowning jewel overlooking the shining white sand of their private beach on one side and a woodland fantasy land on the other. The sun shone brightly, and they all basked in its warmth. The petite Slayer felt like she’d been transported to the Elysium Fields of Greek mythology.

Anna had spent hours just staring at the beauty of the vision. She’d never seen the sea before and was overjoyed to finally fulfill her dream.

With hugs and wishes of wellbeing, The Order of the Light said good bye to their companions. Anna, Velkan, Carl and Van Helsing had all been given contact coins, It had been decided that while Anna and Velkan would always be happy to make themselves available to the Order, only Carl and Van Helsing would actually be considered outside operatives. 

Once the core group was finally alone, they slowly made their way back to the castle. It was time to settle in.

Cordelia blinked frantically as a white haze covered her vision. Somewhere in the distance she heard Joyce firmly informing Spike that if he was so keen on sharing a room then he had better check with Oz or Xander because until her daughter had a ring on her finger, Buffy was NOT an option.

Image after image flashed before the Seer’s mind sight.

“Cordy? Hon, are you okay?” Xander asked, his voice laced with concern.

Cordelia’s eyes locked with Buffy’s the instant her vision cleared. “Looks like we’re facing Rasputin, a bunch of Nazi’s and a seriously hard to kill assassin. You guys are NEVER gonna believe who our allies are!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was to be a BtVS/Hellboy crossover after this, but my writing partner disappeared. I do not know Hellboy all that well. However I do have a copy of the movie. At some point when I have less projects going, I hope to watch the movie and be inspired. I do have an idea for a BtVS/X-men idea where Logan is Van Helsing, I might add that to the Hellboy idea. We'll see.


End file.
